


All My Children

by Sabine M (HowNovel)



Series: The Return of Starman [4]
Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-29
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-02 16:17:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 52,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/370943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Sabine%20M
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephany, Eric Kendall's daughter comes to live with Paul Forrester, her "grandfather" as she knows him, while Eric is away overseas. Learning Paul is not really her grandfather, and in fact, is not really Paul Forrester either, comes as quite a shock, and Stephy gets him in a lot of trouble. Meanwhile Scott gets a divorce and returns to Solvang, wanting to start a new life. All the while, Fox and Wiley keep close tabs on Paul, Scott, and Jenny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All My Children

**ALL MY CHILDREN**

_"All my children" is an amateur non-profit publication for the enjoyment of STARMAN fans and is not meant to infringe upon copyrights held by Henerson-Hirsch, Michael Douglas productions, Columbia Pictures Television or ABC-TV._

_This story was edited by Chuck S._

_© 2011 by Sabine M_

_I dedicate this story to my friend Zena Uzep, who died Dec. 13th 2011._

###    
**Chapter 1**  


April 2011….

“Thank you, Jerry. Good bye.” 

After hearing Jerry’s good bye, Paul slowly hung up the phone. This was it now - the end of the project he had been working on with Jerry for the last four years. Forrester supervised some calculations the scientist made for the “Juno” probe, which should be launched in August. The probe was built to explore Jupiter. It was built for a five year long journey. Then, a little sad, Paul leant back and couldn’t believe that Jerry had nothing for him to do at the moment. His eyes fell on some framed pictures which stood at his office desk. He smiled. Paul took the picture and stared at it for a long time. It was his wedding picture. Four years ago, in April 2007, he had finally married Jenny. What an unforgettable day this was for him, for her, and for everybody who was there.

The wedding day was Saturday, April 7th 2007. It was a beautiful, warm spring day. The celebration took place in the garden of the house they had bought for Forrester. Nice decorated chairs were ready for the guests to sit while they witnessed the vows. A rose arch, decorated with white roses with red ribbons and a blue chain light wrapped around the arch stood ready for the wedding pair. In the other corner of the garden, tables and chairs with white table clothes and white chair covers stood prepared for the guests to sit while they ate from the buffet. Two people from the wedding service worked to have the food ready when the ceremony was over. They filled sparkled wine in champagne flutes for the guests to clink glasses with the bride and the groom after the wedding. The registrar and the guests were already there. They waited downstairs in the garden and chatted with each other. Ben was the best man and asked everybody to sit down. George Fox and his girl friend Sylvie were there; of course, all of the Wylies: Ben and Christina, John and their six month old daughter Samantha; Wayne Geffner, Jenny’s brother, and his wife Phyillis; Liz Baynes, Ethan Ryder and his wife, the general from Washington, and Jenny’s second husband Richard Hayward. All wore tuxedos or gowns. Jenny, the bride was downstairs, and Lainie, her former friend from Seguaro, helped her get ready for the ceremony. Paul Forrester and his son, Scott Hayden, were upstairs and did the same. Both had tuxedos on, Scott’s was black, Paul’s light gray. The groom had a red rose in the button hole of his jacket. The two never looked better then today. Forrester glanced from his bedroom window down in the garden. He was nervous. Scott still fiddled around with his fancy suit and checked if everything was okay. Then he came over to his father and fiddled around with the collar and checked if everything was likewise perfect on him too. Paul noticed how nervous his son was. His hands were even shaking, but it was a happy excitement he felt on him. When he looked in his eyes, he could see that Scott’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“What’s the matter? This is my wedding day, Scott. Not my funeral.” For Paul, it didn’t make sense that everybody was today so close to their tears. When he saw Christina ten minutes ago she too had almost started to cry. She had said then she felt a little sad to give him away, but she was also happy for him. The same happened with Liz when he welcomed her. It was understandable that Liz reacted that way, since the original Forrester was her boyfriend, but when even Sylvie fought with her tears, the Starman couldn’t understand the world any more. 

“No, Dad, it’s just my excitement. I’m so happy for you, mom and for me too. How long have we two been waiting for this day to come?” Scott swallowed his sentimentality. “This wedding is so unique, isn’t it? I mean you, a being from another world, marries an earth woman.” 

“Scott, I don’t get why you make such a fuss about it. Practically, we have been man and woman since we have lived here together. It’s just a promise to stay forever together and a celebration. For me the marriage wasn’t necessary at all. I don’t want to have another woman and don’t want to mess around with any other. I’m happy with your mother.”

“No, weddings are more then giving promises. You’ll see. This is your special day. It means so much for my mother.”

Ben came upstairs and told them that the ceremony could start now. 

“Do you have the rings?” Starman asked his son, who would be his witness. Jenny’s witness was Lainie. The two had gotten close again since Lainie had received the invitation. He checked again in his pocket, and then both followed Wylie downstairs. Everybody was seated when father and son entered the garden. A photographer, whom Liz had hired, started taking pictures of the groom and his son. Every involved person knew about the course of events. Paul and Scott saw many happy faces when they went towards the aisle. They stopped under the rose arch and welcomed again the registrar. Paul’s attention was drawn to the blue blinking light chain. It was a nice idea. Jenny and his son were mainly involved in the preparations. Both loved arranging the wedding. 

“This is it now, dad.” Scott nodded to Ben and Wylie went in the house and checked if the bride was ready. He came outside and signaled thumps up and started the music. Jenny didn’t want the traditional wedding march for her wedding; she picked a song which she really loved and which suited perfectly to her life. The music started. It was “Perhaps Love” from John Denver and Placido Domingo. 

(Placido Domingo)  
Perhaps love is like a resting place  
A shelter from the storm  
It exists to give you comfort  
It is there to keep you warm  
And in those times of trouble  
When you are most alone  
The memory of love will bring you home

While the song went on, Jenny and Lainie appeared on the patio. The photographer took pictures of them. Jenny wore a cream-colored, tight gown, which suited her slender body well. In her hair was a red rose, the same as on the arch and in Paul’s jacket hole. She had a red and white bouquet of roses in her hands. All people turned from their seats and “aws” could be heard when they saw them. Lainie had a light pink dress on. Both woman walked silently towards the rose arch. The song went on.

Perhaps love is like a window  
Perhaps an open door  
It invites you to come closer  
It wants to show you more  
And even if you lose yourself  
And don't know what to do  
The memory of love will see you through

(Placido Domingo)  
Oh, Love to some is like a cloud  
To some as strong as steel

(John Denver)  
For some a way of living  
For some a way to feel

(Placido Domingo)  
And some say love is holding on  
And some say letting go  
And some say love is everything  
And some say they don't know

(John starts, joined by Placido)  
Perhaps love is like the ocean  
Full of conflict, full of pain  
Like a fire when it's cold outside  
Thunder when it rains  
If I should live forever  
And all my dreams come true  
My memories of love will be of you

(Placido Domingo)  
And some say love is holding on  
And some say letting go

(John Denver)  
And some say love is everything  
Some say they don't know

(John starts joined by Placido)  
Perhaps love is like the ocean  
Full of conflict, full of pain  
Like a fire when it's cold outside  
Or thunder when it rains  
If I should live forever  
And all my dreams come true  
My memories of love will be of you

By the time the song faded out, Jenny was standing next to the groom. Paul’s eyes were brimming with tears. It had moved him so much when he realized that his dream was coming true right in this moment. His wife to be was so beautiful today. All the lost years were forgotten in this moment. Everything was just so right. The song had moved him. Every word of it was so true.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” 

“Thank you, my darling, you look gorgeous too.”

The registrar wanted their attention. He cleared his throat when there was a moment of silence. The photographer snapped on. He was very professional and didn’t disturb anybody.

“Dearly Beloved” he said, “We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Paul and Jenny in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace.” 

Nobody said anything. So the registrar went on and glanced towards Paul. He asked him to repeat after him. Jenny handed her bouquet to Leanie, who stood next to her. Paul took Jenny’s hand and turned to her.

“I, Paul Edward Forrester, take you Jennifer Hayden to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.”

Forrester did perfectly. They had practised the cerenomy, so he knew what he had to say. When he was done, the registrar turned to the bride and asked her to speak after him in the same manner. 

“I, Jennifer Hayden, take you, Paul Edward Forrester, to be my wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

The registrar then went on with the important wedding questions. “Paul do you take Jenny to be your lawful wedded wife?” 

He looked at her, smiled and replied a clear “yes.” 

“Do you promise to love and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?” 

Again, he responded a clear “yes.”

“Do you promise you will love, cherish and respect her throughout the years?” 

“Yes,” Paul replied again.

Again, the attention went then to Jenny. The registrar asked her the same questions. “Jenny, do you take Paul to be your lawful wedded husband?” 

She was so moved, that she fought with her tears, but she managed a clear “yes.”

“Do you promise to love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, for so long as you both shall live?” 

“Yes, I promise.” When she looked at the groom, she saw that he smiled.

“Do you promise you will love, cherish and respect him throughout the years?” 

“Yes.”

Then the ring exchange came. The registrar looked at Scott, who was caught off guard. He was startled for a moment, then took out the box with the rings and gave it to him. The registrar opened the box and held it towards Forrester, so he could pick out the ring for the bride. They had picked lovely gold with white gold wedding rings. Jenny’s ring had a little diamante stone in it. 

Paul had the ring in his hand and placed it with the following words on Jenny’s ring finger. “I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore.”

Now it was Jenny’s turn again. She took the remaining ring and placed it on the grooms ring finger. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you.” 

Everything was settled now and the registrar said the final words. “By the supreme authority and by the state of California I pronounce you now Mr. and Mrs. Forrester.” Paul’s heart pounded. 

“You may kiss the bride.”

He desired nothing dearer. His wedding kiss was tender. “I love you,” he said when they parted.

“I love you too.” Jenny said and her eyes radiated joy and love.

One point of the cerenomy remained however. The wedded couple had to sign the wedding papers, as well as the witnesses, Scott and Lainie. Then everything was settled. They shook hands with the registrar, and he congratulated them. At last, he handed them the marriage certificate. Lainie took it in her hands. She knew the couple had now to shake hands with a lot of people. Then their son congratulated both, and they hugged him. Scott had finally lost the battle, and joyful tears could be seen in his eyes. Lainie complimented them after their son. The guests stood up from their chairs and came over to the arch. One after another they wished them the best and congratulted them. Yes, finally Paul and Jenny were husband and wife. The party went far in in the night and it was one of the happiest days for the wedding couple. They would always treasure this day.

Paul set the photograph back. Right next to his wedding picture stood the wedding picture of his only son, Scott. He took it also in his hands and remembered. 

_“Oh Scott,”_ he thought when he saw his handsome son, dressed in a tuxedo, next to his newly wed bride Patricia, _“if you only know how much we miss you. It’s not the same without you here.”_ Scott didn’t live in Solvang anymore and this since the last three years. He lived far away, in Pittsburgh on the East Coast, and he had seen him last time in person at Christmas, four long months ago! Not long after his wedding with Jenny, Scott met a young woman and they fell madly in love. Patricia was in her early thirties and came from a rich family. She had long blond hair, was slender and beautiful. They vacationed in Solvang, and so they met. Her father owned a steel company in Pittsburgh. Paul could never fully understand why Scott fell so deeply in love with the young woman, since both came from a totally different background. Patricia was rich and spoiled; Scott wasn’t. But Patricia was definitely his preferred type of woman, and Paul could understand why Patricia fell in love with his son. He could be a charmer through and through. 

Nevertheless, their social background separated them in Starman’s eyes even in those early days. However, Scott and Patricia dated each other, kept the relationship going, even when she stayed a long time back in Pennsylvania, and not even two months later, he asked for her hand in marriage, and she agreed happily. When he informed his parents about the news, they were happy for him, but on the other side, also worried. Jenny never thought that Scott considered marriage, after all the disappointments in his earlier life. It was clear that Patricia didn’t want to give up her good paid job in Pittsburgh. Scott had to follow his bride to the other state. This also meant that he had to give up everything of his former life. His friends and family, his work at Richard Hayward’s farm, all what belonged to his life to this day. His father in law had no worries at all. He was happy that Patricia finally found a solid, young man. He even liked that Scott hadn’t the same background as she had. Maybe this relationship his daughter had now would work out. 

Ken offered Scott a job in his company. He had to work hard there, some weeks later he even got a promotion and had eight people working in his department. The new situation was hard for Paul and Jenny. They could have been so happy, except that Scott was literally torn out of their lives. Their hands were bound, they didn’t want to interfere. They had to accept it, as hard at it was, especially of course for Jenny, his mother who loved her son madly. Scott was their grown up child and could do what he wanted. In the first months of separation, he often called and wrote, but in the last year his messages became rare. When Paul or Jenny would call him, his conversation was short and he politely promised to call later. His parents waited, but it was seldom that he called back. They knew that his new job was stressful. He often told them about it. Scott started a new life, where he worked on something totally different as the work with horses and nature which he was used to. He now was responsible for the purchasing department of Patricia’s father’s company. He often told his parents that he had to work 12 hours a day and sometimes on weekends also. Many times something went wrong with the deliveries, steel plates were delivered partly uncovered, and therefore wet, and showed first signs of corrosion and couldn’t be used anymore, and he had to figure something out in shortest time to find a replacement. His days were filled with staff meetings, going on for hours. This kind of responsibility took its toll on him. Scott knew that he wasn’t happy anymore with this stressful job, and he wasn’t happy with his relationship either. 

Starman’s son visited his parents last Christmas. He flew in just for a day. This time he came without his wife. He told his mother that Patricia was sick and couldn’t come, but Paul knew it was a lie. When they were alone for some minutes, he asked him what really went on. Scott knew that his father knew instantly that something was wrong. It was no use to lie to him. His father knew about certain feelings just by touching people, and when he embraced his son he received all sorts of feelings, but mostly pure desperation. So he had to tell him the truth. Scott and Patricia had filed for a divorce. The reason was not that one of them wasn’t faithful to the other one, it was just that they had drifted apart in the last two years. Their days were filled with work from nine to sometimes late at night. They basically had no private life anymore. They lived in a beautiful house, newly purchased after the wedding, they owned the newest cars and the fanciest things, but all that needed to be financed. And then of course Patricia wanted to have children and Scott knew that he couldn’t give her any. And on top of all, Scott never told her about his origin. In the beginning it didn’t matter, later it wasn’t important anymore because the gap between them became wider and wider. This was another reason why they drifted apart. The young man was on the verge of having a mental breakdown when he had to tell his father what really went on in his life. He felt so helpless, he just wanted to come back and forget the last three years. But that was of course not so easy. He had to go through the rest all alone. He asked his father not to tell his mother yet, not until he made everything clear. Paul wished he could help him somehow, after all Scott was his son and he loved him, but Forrester knew that he couldn’t. All he could do is promise not to tell his mother anything about it, so that she wouldn’t worry about her son more then she already did. And Scott pulled himself together, swallowed the lump in his throat, and acted as if nothing had happened when his mother came back in the room.

That was now four months ago. It was April 2011. It was hard to keep the secret. Jenny of course felt that something was going on. One time in January or February she asked her husband if he knew if something was wrong with her son. She was his mother and she simply knew and felt it. So Paul told her. Despite that she was shocked to hear about the bad news, she was also happy about the fact that Scott wanted to come back. Paul had phoned Scott several times since, but he never got to speak with him about any news with him and Patricia. All he knew was that Scott was already divorced to Patricia, and that they were busy selling the house and splitting the assets. He also knew that Scott wanted to come back in the next few days. Paul looked forward to it. He still had, after all, an apartment here. 

When Paul moved with Christina and her son into this house in Solvang in February 2006, he didn’t yet know how much would change in just one year. First Ben moved in after the Wylie's reconciled. That was in April 2006. They lived downstairs, and Paul had the upstairs apartment together with Jenny, after she was allowed to move in. Christina had given birth to her daughter Samantha in September, and the Wylie’s wanted to have a private, more spacious place for them and the kids. They moved out and bought a house down the street. Ben was still here daily for Paul as his helper. The general approved the new situation, having seen that Forrester was reliable. Since one story of the house was now empty, Scott took the opportunity and asked if he could move into the house. During this time, he was still working for Richard Hayward and hadn’t meet Patricia yet. Nobody had objections against his idea. It was exactly the opposite, because Jenny seemed to be afterwards the happiest woman in the world. Now she had her Starman and her son in one house together. Because they wouldn’t get younger, they decided that it would be best that Paul and Jenny moved downstairs and Scott upstairs. In any way, the upstairs apartment needed a little renovation, because it hadn’t a kitchen. A hired construction company fixed it in no time, and soon the identical apartments were ready. Mr. Fox, who had an eye on the alien at the weekends – when Christina had off -, was happy too that he finally could enjoy his retirement. He came visiting Forrester now and then. Everything worked so well, Ben was now Paul’s “help for all cases” as he liked to call his job, and Christina hadn’t time to treat Forrester the way she had treated him before. There was no time for jealousy either. The baby occupied her day. Jenny wouldn’t believe it in the first time, but then of course little Samantha changed everything. Christina was happy too. Everybody was happy, but then of course one important person went away from Starman’s new found idyll.

###    
**Chapter 2**  


This year not only was Scott’s end of marriage always on Paul’s mind, but something else changed his life drastically. Suddenly, without any advance notice, last February, Eric Kendall stood in front of his door. Beside him stood an 11 year old girl, whom he introduced as his daughter. Paul was stunned. He often thought of what became of Eric, but that he stood now in front of his porch was quite a shock. Eric found out where he lived because of Forrester’s calendar pictures Paul had taken for a ball bearing company some years ago. By pure coincidence, he saw his father’s credit for the photos listed on the calendar. He was the real Paul Forrester’s son from a former girlfriend of his, of whom the original photographer never had known, and the girl never told him that he impregnated her. The extraterrestrial, living under the name of Paul Forrester, met Eric and the youth was very fond of him, not knowing that the original photographer had died. He wanted to travel with him, just like Scott did, but at that time Starman couldn’t allow it. He never told Eric or his mother and stepfather that he wasn’t really Forrester. Eric stayed with his folks because he became aware that they meant more to him then his biological father, and he couldn’t leave them. At the end, his idealized father wasn’t worth trading them in for. Nevertheless, Eric was now almost forty, the age Paul was when they met the last time. He was able to make his wish come true, and followed the footsteps of his famous biological father. Eric Kendall was a good looking freelance photographer, worked like the original Forrester did before he died, often in a war zone, in dangerous places. He explained that he was hired to take pictures from the new civil war in Libya and couldn’t take his daughter with him. 

“So I thought you could take her. She doesn’t have anyone else.” 

He explained why Stephy only had him. Eric had her with a former girlfriend, only in his case the girlfriend told him about her pregnancy. Stephy was living with her mother, but Stephy’s mother died not long ago due to tragic events. At just 37 years she had a thrombosis, and a blood vessel in her brain clogged. She died. The dead mother’s parents were no longer living, and Eric’s mother, Joanna, was too busy caring for his father Tom, who suffered of bone cancer. She didn’t have time for her grandchild either. 

“So I beg you, father,” Eric plead, “I know we don’t have much to do with each other, but this time you can’t turn me down. Stephy is your grandchild.”

Paul was still in shock, and eyed Eric and his daughter for a long time. He knew Eric demanded an answer right now. He didn’t have time to discuss the matter with Jenny, with Ben, Christina and the general. He also knew that Stephy wasn’t really his grandchild, or was she? Wasn’t Eric his son in a certain way? Since he carried Paul Forrester’s genes, the answer was realistically a yes. Stephy was a little girl, she was 11 years old, looked a little like a boy with her short haircut. And she had the facial features of her father and grandfather. But she was also shy and very quiet, she hadn’t spoken a word and just waited for destiny to come.

“Do you have to go to Libya, Eric? It is so dangerous,” Paul tried to talk sense into Eric, “I’ve seen what’s going on. All these civil wars there. First Egypt, then Libya, Tunisia, now Syria.”

“I’ve already signed the contract. I wished I could stay and be a father for Stephy, but at the moment I can’t. Please, Paul, take Stephy, just until I’m back.”

Paul looked again at the child, she needed a home, otherwise she would probably end up in a children’s home, just like Scott did when his foster parents died. He made a decision all alone.

“Okay, Eric, she can stay.”

The young man’s eyes lit up. “Thank you,” he said honestly and was relieved. 

As Paul had assumed, it was a total surprise for the others to find that the girl lived now in Forrester’s house. It took some days, until Jenny got used to the new circumstances. In the end, she welcomed the child. Soon she felt like a mother and grandmother to her. Ben and Christina were of course as surprised as Jenny was. They thought it was not a good idea, but understood under the circumstances that Paul took her under his wings. They didn’t have a good feeling though. The general wasn’t pleased about the news at all. The child didn’t know of Paul’s origin and she was too traumatized to understand it when he would have explained it. All that the alien could do was promise not to reveal the secret. The general doubted it that that would work for a long time.

###    
**Chapter 3**  


Scott was now on the way home to Solvang. They could finally sell their house, pay back the mortgage and split up the remaining assets. His ex-wife moved into an expensive apartment in Pittsburgh. They separated and said good bye with no hostile feelings. Their relationship was simply over. There weren’t anymore feelings to each other, no hate, but also no love. He drove with his recently new purchased SUV Ford Escape over the highway. Scott needed five days from the East Coast, where he lived the last three years, to California. 

The whole car was packed up with boxes with his personal things in it. He passed Santa Ynes, the little town with the wonderful and big lake Chacuma, where he created a ring of blue lights for the first time, just days after he met his real father. Then he drove through Solvang. It was the next town. It was a funny village. The city center had interesting timbered houses, because the town was founded by people from Demark several decades ago and it had also wind mills. Close to the town Michael Jackson’s former Neverland Ranch was located. Scott found the thought about the crazy Neverland Ranch and those strange looking houses interesting. _“That’s exactly the place where my father belongs.”_

Solvang also had outside of the city center a wonderful countryside for keeping animals and outdoor activities. He entered the street where his parents and the Wylie's lived. First he passed the house of the Wylie’s. Scott saw Ben mowing the grass. This was good. It meant that his father was alone at home. He didn’t honk the horn or stop. Ben hadn’t noticed the car anyway. The young man’s heart pounded. Now he had reached the house of his father. It wasn’t really his dad’s property, rather belonged to the government, but Paul was living in it. Smoothly he drove up the driveway and stopped the car in front of the closed garage. His parents had just an old little car. Jenny used it mainly for shopping and going to work. The double garage had a vacant place for his car, but he hadn’t the opener with him, he had left the keys for this house in his parents property. He closed his eyes for a moment.

 _“Home,”_ he thought sadly. 

He liked the feeling of coming home. Especially the last six months weren’t easy on him. First Patricia told him she wanted a divorce, and then he had to work in his successor in the company and arrange to sell the house. He didn’t want to stay in Pennsylvania. Scott went there only because Patricia’s family lived there, and she had a good job in her father’s company. He just wanted to get away from there. Slowly and a little tired from not having gotten a good night’s rest, he opened the drivers door and got out of the car. He inhaled deeply the wonderful air there. He missed that. A big city smelled different than a small town in California’s wine region. Then he locked the car doors with the remote control and went to the house door. He knew his dad was home. He always was home, well almost. It was rare he wasn’t, and if then only with company. Scott assumed that his mother was in work. She had a small part time job as sales person in a gift shop in town, from nine to two o’clock. His heart pounded and his hands were sweating. He hoped so much that his father would welcome him back. He knew he would, but he had a little doubt how everything would turn out. Then he rang the bell.

Paul was outside in the garden and heard the bell. Stephy was in her room and studied. It was Friday afternoon and Monday she had a biology test. She was faster then Paul, ran to the door and opened it. Scott was prepared that his father would open the door and surprised about the little slender girl. He lost his speech for a moment.

“Uh, hi,…” he started finally, “is my father there?”

Stephy eyed Scott from head to toe and like most of the times, she didn’t speak up. She recognized him from the pictures, which decorated walls and furniture. The girl knew that her grandfather had a second son, too, and that he was expected here any day. She thought that if he lived here again, and since he was the son, she had to share her grandparents’ attention, and she didn’t like the thought of it. Before Scott could ask anything else, she slammed the door shut. At this moment Paul arrived at the scene. He only saw that Stephy had closed the door.

“Who was it?”

Stephy looked at him ashamed, but gave him no answer. The bell rang again. Paul went to the door and opened it. Of course he had halfway expected his son’s return, only he didn’t know when that would take place. It could be days to weeks. 

“Scott,” he said, a little perplexed and surprised to the same time. Like Stephy, he eyed him from head to toe. His son looked different than the last time he had seen him. He had lost at least 15 pounds and looked tired, pale and worn out. 

“Hi, Dad.” Scott knew that his appearance would cause such a reaction. Father and son embraced each other and held the embrace for a long time. When they let go, Scott waited for a further reaction. His father led him into the house. 

“I hadn’t expected you so soon. How are you? You look like a ghost, son.” Forrester was truly worried. “What happened?”

“The last four months were a nightmare.” 

“Come in and sit down.” Paul led him in the living room. He knew when Jenny would see her son she would be very worried too. 

“Stephy, get something to drink, please, will you?”

The girl was standing in the doorframe and watched the reunion silently. 

“Who is she?” Scott wanted to know, curious. Paul knew it was a long story he had to tell him about Stephy, because he hadn’t mentioned her on his few telephone conversations with his son. Mainly because Scott had already so many problems of his own. 

“She’s my grandchild. Her name is Stephany Mason, Eric Kendall’s daughter.” 

Scott’s mouth dropped open. A thousand thoughts rushed through his mind. In the meantime Stephany had brought two glasses and Orange Juice. 

“Say hello to my other son, Stephy,” her grandfather introduced them, “His name is Scott Hayden. You know him from the pictures, don’t you?”

She nodded and offered her hand to him. Scott shook it, still shocked to hear the news. 

“Hi,” is all he could say, still shaken over the news.

“She’s living with us until her father gets back.” 

Then there was a noise at the door again. 

“Grandma’s back!” Stephy said joyfully and rushed to the door. 

She was right. It was Jenny, who just came home from work. She kissed the girl on the cheek as a welcome for a short moment, but hurried to get into the living room. Jenny had seen the car in front of the garage, and from the license plate she knew it must have been her homecoming son. Scott stood up as soon he saw her. Both rushed into each other’s arms. Their eyes were wet when he let her out of his embrace. Jenny took his face in her hands. 

“Oh Scotty, I’m so glad that you are back. Don’t you ever keep something like this a secret from me. I’m your mother. I knew that something was wrong.” 

Jenny eyed him. She too was a bit shocked over his appearance, but had somehow expected it. Scott was her son and reacted the same way when she had troubles. He was very thin and looked like a lost kitten. They sat down on the couch. Scott started explaining about what had happened.

“….Last month we were finally able to sell the house, then pay back the mortgage and split up the assets. Pat bought a new apartment and I only wanted to go home.”

“Oh Scott….,” Jenny pitied him, “Why haven’t you told me about your sorrows? I’m your mother.”

“I didn’t want you to worry over me.”

She squeezed his arm and looked desperate and worried because of her son’s problems. To make her understand that the worst part was over, Scott laid a protective arm around her shoulder. 

Paul wanted to cheer everyone up. There was such a sad atmosphere in this room. “Listen, we are your parents, and you always count on us. You still have your apartment upstairs. Your mother kept it always tidy.”

“Thanks,” Scott said and was happy that he could start here all over. Thankful he kissed his mother on the cheek. 

“Everything will be okay,” Jenny comforted him in a way only mothers could.

Stephy was kind enough not to interfere while Paul and Jenny talked to their son. But now it seemed that their welcome talk had come to an end. She entered the room and came straight to her grandfather, who sat on the big armchair, and sat down at the arm rest, but ended up on his lap. Stephy loved being with him and nestled her body to him. Paul’s eyes lit up, when she rested her head against his chest. This girl was different then Scott was. His son was always so mature since he knew him. He simply had to be. Of course, he was also some years older then Stephany when father and son met each other the first time. However, the extraterrestrial had to confess he loved the girl - almost like she was really his grandchild. Softly he stroked her hair.

“It seems I’m no longer the only kid here,” Scott said in a funny voice and chuckled. 

“I’m going to make something to eat,” Jenny said at last and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“I guess so,” her son answered, hesitant. He wasn’t hungry at all, but he understood that his mother wanted to talk to him alone and preparing dinner with her would be a good idea to have a personal talk.

Scott made sure that Stephy was still occupied with his father, when he asked his mother in the kitchen, “Mom, tell me, Eric’s daughter, she doesn’t know about my father, does she?”

“No she doesn’t-yet.” she replied sorrowfully, “We all thought it would be better. She’s traumatized. Stephy’s mother died suddenly from a clot in her head. When she would find out that Paul isn’t really Eric’s dad, then she might lose the bond that they have built up in the meantime. She has only us, you know.”

“Oh Geez.” Scott had guessed something like that. “She will find out sooner or later. Dad can play his role very well, but one time he will let the cat out of the bag. Maybe not even on purpose. What if Stephy sees him open a locked door? Or change the channel by pointing his finger to the screen? Like I said, he might do it just because he is used to it.”

“He was very careful since she’s living with us,” Jenny replied, “Listen Scott, there is more. We know that Eric…..” She stopped and looked her son deeply in the eyes. 

“What’s the matter?”

”We know that Eric is missing in the war zone. He should have been back long ago from his assignment. He went from Libya to Syria, and since this time nobody heard from him.” 

Scott swallowed a lump in his throat. “Does it mean that he-” He couldn’t finish the sentence. 

“Yes, it can be. So be careful what you say to Stephy. She’s a fragile little girl.”

After dinner, Paul helped Scott unload his car and carry the boxes up in his apartment. When they were almost finished, Ben came over to see how Paul was doing. He was no longer on permanent supervision, but Wylie came twice a day over to the Forrester’s anyway to see if everything was okay. He too was surprised and shaken to see what had happened to Scott when they greeted each other. Ben helped them then to bring the rest up in Scott’s story of the house. 

“How is Christina and the kids?” Scott wanted to know. John was now 11 years old, going on turning 12, and Ben’s second child, Samantha was born in September 2006, and she was now 3 and a half years old.

“Fine, thank you,” Ben told him proudly, “Sammy has grown so much since you last saw her.”

It was good that at least here everything was okay. “I bet she is.” Scott smiled and saw how Ben eyed him, obviously worried. The young man hated that. He knew that he didn’t look healthy and strong like when he moved out some years ago.

“Would you stop staring at me, Ben, will you?” 

Wylie reacted ashamed. “Sorry, about that. It’s just that you don’t look like the guy I knew. You look terribly thin.”

Ben was somehow shocked. Maybe besides a lost marriage, Scott had also different problems, maybe health problems nobody knew of. But on the other side, he knew how much his own marriage problems had taken toll on him. He lost some pounds to that time also. 

“Listen guys,” Paul interfered, to solve the tension. He just had an idea, to let everybody know about Scott’s return and so his son could tell his story only once, and not always anew for every person who knew him. “Maybe we could make tomorrow a barbeque. We could invite you and Christina and the kids, George and Sylvie and Richard. Maybe General Ryder could come, but I doubt that he flies in for just this occasion.”

The reaction was that Scott started to groan and rolled his eyes. That was just the idea he had waited for. Well, after thinking about the idea for a moment, it wasn’t so bad after all. Everybody here in one place, he had to tell them only once about his end of marriage and his return and not over and over. Nevertheless, he hated it too. He just wanted to be alone and put the broken pieces inside of himself together.

Paul waited for an answer. “And?”

“Okay, let’s do that, if you want.”

The extraterrestrial’s face lit up. He clapped his hands together, exited and rubbed them, hardly being able to wait to see everybody. “I’ll call everyone.”

Scott groaned again. “Look dad, do that. But now would you two please leave me? I have driven the last five days the whole day and spending the nights in uncomfortable beds. I’m really exhausted. I want to sleep.”

The joy was suddenly out of his dad’s eyes. “Yes, of course,” he said a little sad, “Let’s go, Ben. Good night.”

Scott too wished them a good night, closed the door behind them, and the two went down to the Forrester’s apartment.

The same evening Paul called everyone, first George, then Richard. The others looked forward to the gathering. Then he called the general. As he had assumed, the general thanked him for the invitation, but couldn’t come due to time difficulties. Ryder wanted to talk with Paul about something else too. He wanted to know if he had found a solution with Stephy. The general still wasn’t pleased that the girl lived with the alien and assumed that he was her grandfather, which he wasn’t in the general’s eyes. He also thought that the girl probably needed professional help with her trauma, and he knew that Paul did his best, but he hadn’t any experiences in this field. All Paul could answer was that he didn’t know what to do. He only knew that he didn’t want to be separated from Stephy. They talked about the probe and Paul informed him that his work was finished.

 

Paul and Jenny went to bed this day and had a lot to talk about this night. 

“I’m so worried about him. Did you see how he looks? Why in the world didn’t he talk to me about his problems?”

“I don’t know, Jen.” Paul answered honestly, “When I embraced him I received all sorts of feelings: despair and sadness, aimlessness, kind of like hanging at the end of the rope. Doesn’t know yet the direction he wants to head.”

“I know,” Jenny said silently, “I’m only glad that he came back. I’m his mother. I can put him back on the track.”

“On the track?” the Starman asked curios. After all these years, he never heard the expression before. 

“Starting anew,” she explained. 

“Oh,” he said and understood, “Now let’s sleep, Jenny. It has been a long day.” He put an arm around her hips and she nestled herself close to him. 

 

Scott lay in his bed and tried to fall asleep, but it didn’t work. He thought again of all of his problems, then about his return. Although he was dead tired, he couldn’t fall asleep. At the end he got up and switched on the TV. He turned it down as much it would go. Nothing caught his interest. He thought of clearing out the boxes and putting everything away, but that would make noise, and he didn’t want to wake everybody up downstairs. So he went again back to bed. The alarm clock told him the time. Already 1:28 in the morning. 

_When I’m again not sleeping, I’ll be a wreck tomorrow,_ he thought, _like I was in the last couple of weeks._ He remembered how he felt when he had to work and he had slept only one or two hours a night. Then he walked around like a ghost. Scott felt exhausted and floored. He went to the window and opened it. Then he went to bed again. Now he knew he had only one chance left - his sphere. He took it out of his pants pocket, which hung over a chair next to him, and closed his hand around it. The feeling of holding it relaxed him. It was like in old times, when he was living with his father, and they were on the run. During this time they often slept in one bed, and his father always had then a protective arm around him. In the beginning he didn’t like it at all, but later he needed the simple gesture to fall asleep more easily. He thought that his father felt the same way in those times. Unfortunately, these times were over. He only had the sphere. He clutched it, and in a way it comforted him. Scott remembered what his father had told him, years and years ago, that he was always with him when he was holding the sphere. Then he smiled when he remembered. For some more minutes while holding onto the sphere, without lighting it up, he relaxed more and more. Thoughts drifted away, and finally he fell asleep.

 

Like often, Stephy woke up in the middle of the night, around a quarter after three, dreaming of the day her mother died. She got up and couldn’t resist going into the bedroom of her grandparents. 

“Are you asleep?” she asked the sleeping extraterrestrial in a whispering voice. Paul mumbled some incomprehensible words, still more sleeping than being wake. Carefully, Stephy crawled into the bed and squeezed herself between him and Jenny. 

“I couldn’t sleep. I again had the nightmare. Can I sleep here?” Stephy knew that she was almost a little too old for that, but she couldn’t help it. Paul yawned, having finally understood what went on in the bed. He put his blanket over her and let her have half of the pillow. 

“Had a nightmare again?” he whispered to her. Stephy didn’t answer. She only sought body contact. Paul put his arm around the girl and was a moment later fast asleep again. Stephy needed a little longer, but managed also to go back to rest.

The next day after breakfast, Jenny went in the morning to the store to buy everything they needed for tonight. Like always, Paul stayed at home. It was Saturday, and Stephy had no school. Since she was still studying for the test on Monday, she went to lie in the sun lounger and have another look in her biology book. 

“How did you sleep?” Paul asked, when he saw Scott coming down from his rooms. He often wondered why the construction company had to install a complete kitchen upstairs. His son rarely used it. When he slept there alone, he didn’t want to eat by himself. The same with dinner. Jenny always saved something for him. Now it was already almost nine in the morning.

“Good,” he said and yawned. There was still this certain sadness and depression in his eyes, something Paul had to get used to. 

“Do you want to eat breakfast?” 

“Sure.” Scott went in the Forrester’s kitchen. He sat down and was glad that his father put a plate, a cup and other breakfast utensils in front of him. Paul even poured him coffee and served him toast. Scott only had to choose what he wanted on top of it. 

“What do you want to do today?”

Scott looked up to him and saw his father smiling at him. He had missed his irresistible smile, his positive attitude towards him and everybody else. “Don’t know. First unpacking. Then stocking up the fridge with beverages. Then maybe reading a book.”

He ate while Paul put the breakfast dishes of the others in the dishwasher.

“I haven’t heard of Richard the last three years,” Scott said and wanted to start a conversation. 

While Paul still worked, he answered, “He hasn’t changed too much. He added a new stable for six boarders, although only four boxes are occupied. I have told you that he has given Jenny a horse for her last birthday, haven’t I?”

“Yes you did. He never gives up.”

“No, it’s not that he wants to win Jenny back,” Paul explained, “I think in the meantime he has accepted it. The horse was sort of an emergency. Her former owner died and Richard bought it for little money. Since the mare was too old to breed, he didn’t really know what to do with her, so he gave her to your mother.”

Scott finished his meal, but ate only one toast. He had not really an appetite. Later he went upstairs, unpacked and came down in the garden, dressed in his trunks and a T-shirt, wearing expensive sun glasses and a big towel and a book in his hands to the pool. He saw Stephy lying at the other sun lounger, reading in a book. 

“Hi,” he greeted her, still not knowing what the girl thought of him and what he should think of her.

“Hi,” she greeted back, a little uninvolved. His father had warned him that he shouldn’t expect of a lot of talk from Stephy, so Scott didn’t want to speak with her when he knew she didn’t enjoy a lot of conversation. He put the towel on top of the comfortable sun lounger, lay down and started to read. It felt good to occupy his thoughts on the contents of the book, a documentary about oil and how important it is to the world, instead of figuring out why the computer showed that 3000 tons of steel should be in the house, and in reality only 2500 were delivered. Scott read 20 pages, then the put the book down. It was indeed interesting to read, but he needed a little break. He watched Stephy for a while. She still read in the book. The book cover showed a similar cover of the biology school book he had in school, more then 25 years ago. Now he felt really old. Stephy had no intention to start a conversation. Scott hated how she ignored him. He found it not very polite.

“In which grade are you?” he finally asked, hoping that the girl would start a sort of conversation. For god’s sake, he was after all her uncle, well kind of.

“Fifth,” was all she said. 

_She’s tough_ , Scott thought, because most of her answers were single-worded “And how’s school going?”

“Okay,” she said, without looking up from her book. 

_Geez,_ he thought, and gave up. That girl wasn’t going to open up on him. He didn’t speak to her anymore, read a few pages of his book, but then in the cozy environment, and still tired from falling asleep so late, dozed off. He woke up only several minutes later, only to find Stephy in the water. She didn’t make any noise, obviously she didn’t want to wake him. He found it was very thoughtful of her. Stephy was an unusual young lady. On one hand she was just 11, on the other she appeared to be beyond her age when it came to things like that. Scott decided to try how the water was. He went in the water from the stairs. The girl was floating on a pink air mattress. Scott swum a little, but then came back to her. 

“Do you want to try some jumps?” 

That rouse her interest. “What jumps?”

“I bet you can show me a dive in the water.” Scott knew that he had her now. 

“That’s peanuts.”

“Well, show me.” 

Stephy went down from the mattress, went outside and showed Scott an elegant dive in the water from the edge of the pool. She often had practiced it since the lived here.

“That was good,” he praised her, “Very elegant.” 

She chuckled. It was the first time he heard her laughing. 

“Now you show me,” the girl begged. 

“I’m not as good as you are.”

She knew it was a fib. “Come on!” 

“Okay.”

Scott went out of the water, took a running jump, and jumped in the water like a bomb, causing a lot of splashes. The girl still giggled when he approached her in the water. “Wanna try that too?” 

He went again outside. Hesitating, Stephy followed him outside. He took her hand outside of the pool, and they jumped together in the pool in the same style as before. The two really had fun. Scott wanted to top everything. They went again out of the water, but this time he wanted Stephy to climb on his back. He bent down so she could climb up. With his arms he held her legs. He made another running jump and together they landed in the water. They repeated it another time, this time she didn’t hold on to his neck, she shielded his eyes with her hands instead, only to tease him. 

“I can’t see!” he laughed and Stephy held on now to his neck, a little too firm and he choked. He exaggerated, and the girl had another laugh, then Stephy let go. She put her arms around his shoulders. Again, they landed in the water. 

“Was that fun?” he asked and he knew that she enjoyed everything as much as he did. The girl just nodded. But now she wanted to get out of the water. Paul had started to prepare the table for the guests and watched his children having fun. He was glad, that Scott was able to bring a smile on the kid’s face. It was seldom that she laughed. For his son it was the start of a cure as well. 

When he was finished preparing the grill, table and chairs for the evening, Paul thought, since the day was hot for end of April, to join his kids at the pool. He changed and came to the pool as well. Scott and Stephy were both reading in their books. 

“I’ve watched you two,” he said and sat down at the edge of the pool, his feet hanging in the water. “Looks like you had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, we did,” Scott answered and smiled at Stephy. She smiled back, but just a little. Way too short. 

“Are you done with the chapter?” the Starman wanted to know. “Do you want me to test you?”

“Oh, come on,” the girl answered teasingly, “I don’t need anybody to test me.” She sounded again being older then she actually was. Paul knew she rather wanted to learn all by herself and didn’t need supervision, like Scott needed when he was in school. Since she was a good student and had good grades, even her teachers always praised her, Paul had accepted it that his grandchild didn’t want to be tested. Scott secretly smiled. Their conversation reminded him when he was a youth, and his father was worried over his education. The Starman slid himself down in the pool. In the last couple of years he became a good swimmer, thanks to Mr. Fox who had taught him well. He swam a little, but not long. Stephy got up and jumped in the water. A moment later he had to break up his swimming exercise, and the girl swung her arms around him. She hung onto him like a frog. Both giggled and whispered something to the other one in the ear. Scott watched from his position with interest and saw how close the two were, maybe even with a little jealousy. He never played those silly water games with his father, although he remembered that his foster father occupied him in this way when he was little. When he met his true father, he was too old for such a closeness. There was also little time to relax and play games while they were on the run. All of a sudden Paul threw the child away, and Stephy landed with a dump in the water. They played that sort of game obviously often and played it like a team. The girl wanted to be thrown wilder and wilder, until Paul thought it was enough. He tried another attempt at swimming, but to no avail. The child was again following him, placed herself on his back. At the end he accepted the girl, stopped his swimming and went with her on his back in the swimming pool back and forth. He turned her around and Stephy held onto him with her hands around his neck. Suddenly she became sad.

“Grandpa, do you think that dad will come back?” The girl often asked him the same question. He had no answer for it.

“I hope soon. That he is missing doesn’t mean that he is dead.” Starman tried to chose his words wisely. Stephy hadn’t had a close relationship to her father, she only saw him rarely. Nevertheless, he was still important for her. Her father was all what she had left of her parents. And now she needed someone she could count on and opened her heart to her grandparents. The joy was suddenly over and Paul wanted to go out of the water. “Let’s go.” 

Meanwhile Scott remembered that he had important things to do, which he didn’t want to postpone. “Uh dad,” he said and collected his things together, “I want to use the rest of the day to go shopping, get registered and get California license plates for my car.” 

Paul didn’t understand why he needed that to be done on his first day at home. “You can do it Monday.”

“I rather do it today.” He said he would be back in time and help them with the barbeque. 

Somehow Paul wanted to come with him, but then he remembered that it would be too complicated. He would have to ask Ben if it would be okay. Secondly, he thought of Stephy, who would have to stay alone until Jenny was back.

Paul had the salad ready and carried it outside. Scott came home just in time, all things settled. He said he wanted to grill the meat. While he was busy with the meat at the grill, Jenny had the potatoes ready, and her husband wanted to carry the bowl outside with the bowl in one hand and napkins in the other. She called him back.

“You know, honey, next time I want to be asked first before you invite everybody,” she softly said. It had annoyed her that he had invited everybody, even Mr. Fox and his girlfriend plus the Wylie's, knowing that she still wasn’t their best friend. 

“I thought it was a good idea to inform everybody about our son’s return……Look, Jen,” he continued hoping to sound convincingly, “You don’t have to do a thing. I’ll do everything. Serve and clean up. Just enjoy the evening.” He went over and kissed her, without putting the items out of his hands.

“Alright,” she said and smiled at him. The promise and his kiss won her over. 

The Wylie’s were right on time. Twenty minutes later they heard the bell ringing. Stephy went to open it. Ben and Christina entered with their kids. Paul and Jenny came to welcome all of them. They often saw each other, so the greeting wasn’t too intensive. All crossed the living room and went in the backyard. It was still odd for Ben and Christina walking in their former rooms, which was now occupied with the alien and his family.

 _Here it goes,_ thought Scott when he spotted the people. In a way he looked forward to seeing them, on the other side he wanted the evening to be over. First he shook hands with Ben again, then he stood opposite Christina with Samantha on her hand. She let go of the child and offered her hand and Scott took it. 

“Hi Scott, we haven’t seen each other a long time.” Ben had prepared his wife and asked not to say anything about how thin Scott has become. She didn’t, but avoided phrases like “you look good” either. Scott mustered her too, she too had changed. Now busy with the small child, she too had become extremely slender, almost too much for his taste. 

“No we haven’t,” he said and looked down to the child beside his father’s friend. “And you have grown so much, since last time I saw you!” 

He bent down and talked a little to Christina’s daughter Samantha. Indeed, she had grown a lot. Samantha had dark hair, but otherwise favored her mother. At the end he greeted Ben’s first born, John. The boy was now almost 12 years old and tall for his age. At the moment he was in the stage of being a little chubby. One or two years later all would change and his body would need the saved energy to grow. Scott ruffled John’s hair before the boy’s attention went to his water pistol, which he had taken with him. He ran into the garden and checked out how the animals were. The Forrester’s still had an outside pen for two rabbits. One Paul had gotten for his birthday, then they had seen that one rabbit was lonesome and they bought a partner for the rabbit they named Jennifer. There was often a funny mix up because of the name.

“Why don’t you go and play with John, honey?” Starman asked the girl, who was always at his side. Reluctant, Stephy did as she was told and the grown ups took a seat. 

“Barbeque is almost ready,” informed Scott to the guests from his grill, while Paul poured everybody a soft drink. Then the door bell rang again.

“It must be George and Sylvie….or Richard,” Forrester said and went to get the guests. He came back with just George. Mr. Fox excused Sylvie. She wasn’t feeling well. Just a few days ago they had come back from a four week vacation in Europe and his girlfriend caught a cold from the air-conditioning in the plane. Then he spotted the Starman’s son and went to greet him and shake hands. 

“Hi, how are you, Scott?”

“I’m fine,” he answered, what else could he say, and shook hands with his former enemy, hoping the interrogation was soon over. He wondered if he ever would get over the uneasy feeling the guy gave him. His father however, saw in George almost something like a friend. Mr. Fox was sun-tanned, he looked like the very picture of health. First he wanted to say something to Scott, but in the end he thought he better not. He changed the topic and took over the lead of the talk. 

Paul offered him a seat and Fox told everybody about his vacation. During his description about how the vacation was, the phone rang, and Richard told them that he would be a little late. Then they all ate. After the meal and the dishes put away, John wanted to play in the pool. Christina had brought everything with them, and changed her daughter into swim clothes, while John did that on his own. Samantha was already trained to swim, but she put armbands on her for safety anyway. At the end Stephy wanted to join the kids and changed as well. Now the grown ups were by themselves, while Christina always had an eye on the playing kids.

George wanted to hear why he was invited. “So you are living now again in Solvang.” Scott knew they wanted to hear the story. 

“Well, where should I start?….,” he began, knowing he had to go through his personal hell, no matter how hard it was, and tell it all over again. 

“We are sorry,” Christina said, truly understanding his situation, “Look Scott, here you can start all over again. The best years of your life are still ahead to come. You must figure out for yourself what you want to do and then do it.”

Scott was amazed how well he suddenly could talk to her. In the beginning he hated her because she was one of the people who wanted to take his father away from him and even shot him at the end, when he only wanted to free his father. 

Then the bell rang again. 

“I’ll get it!” Scott knew it was Richard. Starman’s son was so happy when he saw the ranger again. When he opened the door, they embraced in each other’s arms. After all, Richard was for many years his stepfather and boss, and both had still strong bonds to each other. The rancher hadn’t changed at all. He still was wearing his hair too long for his age, and he tried his best to charm the girls around, like his best years lay still ahead. Richard laid worried eyes on his “third son”, as he often called the younger man. 

“Marriage has obviously done you no good,” he said, while he tried to lighten up the situation after seeing him again, “You are no guy to work in an open plan office. I told you before you left. And it seems I was right.”

“Oh come on, don’t start teasing me.” 

They went to the patio and Richard welcomed the others. Then he too ate. Scott had to tell his story a third time. This time exclusive for Richard. He made it as short as possible. Afterwards he was kind of glad that now everybody knew what had happened. 

Christina eyed the children. All three were in the pool, they jumped again and again from the edge of the pool inside, even Samantha with her armbands on. They all had a lot of fun.

“Paul have you told Stephy yet?” Christina wanted to know. Everybody on the table knew about who Forrester in reality was and the children who didn’t know were out of ear reach. 

“No, not yet,” the Starman confessed.

“There wasn’t yet a good opportunity,” explained Jenny. 

“But you can’t keep this secret forever. Stephy might still be a child, but she’s intelligent. She’ll find out.” Christina was a little annoyed. She wasn’t in charge anymore over Paul’s life here, her husband was now, but she would have never allowed it in the first place that Stephy moved in, and the alien sort of betrayed the kid for such a long time. “You aren’t really Stephy's grandfather”, she continued, “Why haven’t you told her when you knew her stay will be longer then expected? Now she’s living here for the last eight weeks, although you are a government secret, Paul, in case you have forgotten.” 

“I know,” Forrester replied, “I haven’t forgotten. I am who I am. I couldn’t tell Eric. There was no time for explanations. And beside, I thought you wanted the lesser people know about me the better.”

“Yes, you are right about that,” Christina argued, “but still, Stephany has a right to know. I have heard that General Ryder is not pleased with her staying here either.”

“The other possibility is that she has to go to a foster home or a children’s home,” Forrester said to his female friend, who was still responsible for his health, “Well, I’m not going to let that happen,” he continued in a raised voice, “She’s my grandchild.”

They were again at point one when the discussion had started. Christina said nothing anymore, just sighed. She could understand very well that this little girl has easily gotten Paul’s love and care, but whether he was able to forfill his fatherly or rather grandfatherly duties was another story. 

“Why have you come late anyway?” Scott asked Richard to lighten the mood and change the topic. In the meantime John was in the pool and shot Stephy with his water pistol directly in the face just to tease her. She screamed. 

“Stop that, John!” Ben shouted and made an attempt to rise from his chair, but never fully got up. It worked anyway. The boy stopped. Now Stephy splashed water on him in heavy amounts and was angry. Samantha was on the other edge of the pool, just floated in the water. The games of the older children were too wild for her. 

“I don’t want John playing with this toy,” Paul said to Ben and rose to stop the now quarreling children. “It’s after all a make believe gun, even if it just built for having fun. I don’t want him using it as a weapon toward others.” He went to have a short talk with John and Stephy.

Meanwhile Richard answered, “Well, it’s just the many work hours. I have so much to do - so many horses. I haven’t hired a farm hand since you left. Don’t know why though. The one I hired quit only a couple of weeks after you went away with your bride.”

“Is Linda still working for you?” Scott asked him then, with a certain curiosity in his voice.

Linda Carter started an equine therapy with some of Richard’s horses. Before Scott met Patricia, he had sort of an interest in Linda, they had even been a couple already before that, but it ended in an ugly dispute between him, her and his former stepfather. The reason was that Linda chose Richard to have an affair with while she was together with Starman’s son. Scott even quit because of his jealousy, but in the end everything quieted down and he came back working. The affair didn’t last long. Richard was a rich man, but he also was 30 years older than Linda. The young woman was just a trophy for him in the end, and not really an option for a steady relationship. It was also fact that Scott and Linda weren’t really together for that time, although he thought at the time they were. Sleeping with her again, hadn’t brought the effect he wished it would. Linda sought to that time for a man who could comfort her after her divorce and Scott obviously wasn’t the right choice then.

The very attractive farmer answered, “Yes, in fact she does. She still works with children, but she often helps out, too, when I need someone for trail riding.”

“Oh, I see,” was all Scott said. 

Richard waited a little to see if he wanted to know more about her, and said at the end, “She doesn’t have somebody at the moment, in case you are interested.”

Scott hated it when the farmer acted like he could read his mind. “I’m not, I really have other problems at the moment then finding a new girl-friend.”

“You’re a good looking guy, Scott,” the farmer continued, “You’re one of those guys who look ten years younger than they actually are. You can have any girl you want to.”

Now the young man chuckled. Why did he pay him so many compliments? The others listened quietly to the conversation and smiled a little. Paul came back chewing the kids out, especially John. He wasn’t actually scolding him, but had explained to him that he didn’t want to use the water gun again on the girl.

“Did I miss something?” he asked and sat down on his chair. 

“What do you really want, Richard?” Jenny suddenly asked. She knew he had something on his mind. After all, she was married to him for many years, after she thought her true love from another star had been killed.

“In fact when I heard you came back I thought you wanted to come back to work on the ranch for me…” 

“Oh Richard,” Jenny answered like the offer was meant for her, “Leave Scott alone. He just came back from an uncomfortable divorce, like any divorce is, and you only have the thought on your mind to drag him back into the stable. Maybe he doesn’t want to work for you anymore?”

George just had to chuckle. The conversation was funny how Jenny stood up for her grown up son. The other’s looked at him, until he forced himself to stop.

“Mom, stop doing this,” Scott replied, annoyed, but still polite, “I’m really old enough to make my own decisions.” He turned to Richard, “I don’t know yet what I will do. But perhaps I’ll consider your offer.”

###    
**Chapter 4**  


The following Monday, while Jenny was at work and Stephy in school, Scott wanted to go to the ranch. His father had nothing else to do, since all work for the project had ended for the moment, and wanted to come with him and show him what had changed at the ranch. He called Ben and received the allowance to go. While Paul was talking to Ben, and told him where he wanted to go and how long he would be out, Scott was silent and just waited.

 _Man, they still have him so much under control,_ he thought, _even after all those years since he’s living here, he has to report where he goes and what he is doing._ He wasn’t pleased about it, but it seemed that his father didn’t mind. When Paul ended the telephone conversation, they went outside to Scott’s new car, which still stood in the driveway. It was just a year ago since the young man had bought it.

“I haven’t had time yet to take a look at your new car,” Paul said and went around to the driver’s side. He liked the Ford Escape very much. Scott had to work hard for it and could certainly afford it, at least a year ago. It was a modern car and he especially admired the color - a metallic radiating light blue. That reminded him of the color of the sphere in action. The car was locked. Not actually thinking about his doing, he opened the lock by putting his finger on the key hole. The lock opened through Starman's power. A second later he sat in the driver’s seat and checked out the still new smelling interior with great interest. Since his father had opened the car already, he opened the passenger door and remained standing outside. From there he handed Paul the car keys, and he powered up the electronics of the car.

“I like the color of your car very much,” Paul confessed and checked out the buttons on the dashboard. There was also a big navigation screen installed. Soon the unit showed him on a digital map where the car stood.

“I thought of you when I picked it,” his son replied honestly, answering his question regarding the color, “The special color cost 1500 bucks extra.” 

Starman looked at the meter of the mileage. It showed a little over 17.000. “How many miles had you to drive from the East to the West?”

“A little under 3000.” Since his father was still occupied with the dashboard and running his hands over the steering wheel, like he wanted to make a test ride, he proposed, “You do want to make a test ride, don’t you?” 

Forrester shrugged his shoulder. “If I have a chance,” Scott understood. He climbed in the passenger seat and off they went.

They headed toward the ranch. It wasn’t far, just three miles. When they passed the Wylie property, Paul honked the horn. A short time after he came to live in this town he wasn’t used to driving a car anymore and almost had an accident with George’s new car when they practiced driving. Paul even gave his drivers license back to Christina, angry and afraid, after this had happened. But all had changed. In the last years he trained very often with Jenny’s car and learned even to drive with a stick – Christina’s BMW had one. He drove slowly anyway and didn’t want anything happen to his son’s car.

Soon they arrived at the ranch. They climbed out and Scott took a surprised look. As he had already announced, Richard had added a new stable for boarders. The other stables and the main house got a new paint. Everything looked neat and clean. At the pastures several horses grazed. It was very idyllic and peaceful - just like he remembered it. He took a deep breath and inhaled the air, which smelled after grass and horses. They went closer to the stables. An exciting little dog approached them. 

It was Sparky, actually Jenny’s little dog. Richard kept him, or rather heartbroken, she asked him to keep him on the ranch months after she moved into Starman’s new home to live with him. At that time the Wylie’s lived in the house as well and they agreed after a while that the living situation would be too tight for a dog also. Scott shouted Sparky’s name and the little terrier ran to him and greeted him by putting his front paws onto his knees and wagging his tale. He yapped and was totally excited. It felt good to welcome his furry friend. Sparky was very excited and recognized Scott immediately.

“Oh hi,” they heard a voice from the barn and Richard came out to them with a hay fork in his hands. “Are you two visiting or do you want to start working?”

Still a little occupied with the dog, Scott chuckled about his bluntness and told him, “No, actually only saying hi to the horses.” 

“I want to show him Farah and the rest of the new ones,” Paul explained. 

“Okay, no problem, but I don’t have time to come with you. I have work to finish,” the rancher said and went back in the barn. Paul and Scott went into the boarders’ stable to get a halter. Sparky was always at their side. Then they went together to the pasture for the boarders, opened the gate, and Paul showed him all horses there. In the next pasture were Richard’s mares with their new foals and yearlings. Paul pointed to those Scott didn’t know yet. Finally he went to a grazing little white mare, barely above the size of a pony and put the halter on. Her coat wasn’t all white though, rather flea-bitten with some dark spots when you looked closer.

“This is Farah,” he introduced the horse to his son, “Like Farah Fawcet, the actress who died some years ago.” 

“She’s nice,” is all that Scott said. He rubbed her forehead. Farah had Arabian blood in her. Her father was a pure breed white Arabian stallion, her mother a cob. That’s why she wasn’t very tall, just 14 hands, but her eyes were bright, attentive and friendly. He was surprised that his mother ended up with this little horse.

“She’s a horse just for leisure trail riding. We have a girl who rides her twice a week and shares the monthly place fees, so we can afford to keep her.”

“She’s just right for Stephany,” Scott found out when he stood next to the horse and pet her. “She’s a little fat. She needs more exercise.” 

Paul said nothing about the little insult. He knew himself that the horse was a bit over weighted, but she was healthy and never needed a vet since the Forrester’s ended up with her. 

“Yes, she has just the right size for Stephy,” he answered, “But unfortunately she’s not so much into horses.” 

After they let the horse loose again, they strolled further over the property. Treasured memories floated back in Scott’s mind. He lived and worked on the ranch the most years of his life. 

“I should have never left,” he admitted, looking over the green pastures and buildings. It was so peaceful here. He felt like a new person. This place meant home and the feeling was overwhelming.

“You left home for love,” Starman reminded him, “I once did that, too – for you and Jenny.”

Scott smiled at him. In a way he was right. “Right, but your journey ended for you obviously satisfying.”

Forrester put an arm around Scott’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, son, some trips may end in a dead end street, but not all of them.” 

Then they rested under a big tree. They just enjoyed the view. Starman eyed his child for a little while, while Scott enjoyed the peaceful scenery.

“Have you ever told Patricia?” 

The question got Scott by total surprise. He knew what his father wanted to know - if he had told her that he was a half-breed between two species.

“It didn’t matter,” he replied a little offended. “She loved me because we were a great team, at least in the beginning, and not because I have a father from another world.” 

Starman didn’t understand why he showed suddenly an angry attitude, and why he could keep this secret all the time since he met the girl and even married her. 

“Has she never asked about the sphere?”

“Sure,” Scott explained, with a little softer tone, “I said it’s my lucky charm, which is not even a lie. I never worked the sphere when she was with me, and there wasn’t an emergency to use it either. I had to promise this to General Ryder and kept my promise, in case you have forgotten how stern he was when he returned them to us.” 

Starman wasn’t yet done asking. “Have you learned to use it?”

Scott eyed him, and smiled when he saw his interested look. “Yes, I think I became pretty good in it.” 

Paul smiled even more and pride showed in his eyes. 

Now Scott got him by surprise when he countered, “You know dad, you’re funny. You ask me why I haven’t told Pat, but you do the same with Stephy.”

“It’s different,” he replied, “When I tell her I’m afraid to lose her confidence.”

“I’m amazed that it had worked for so long not to reveal the secret. Hasn’t she ever asked why they keep a constant watch on you, why you only go outside when Ben or Christina is with you, or you ask for their allowance?”

“No,” was the true answer, “Not really. I was very busy with Jerry since Steph is living here.”

Scott sighed and shook his head in confusion. He didn’t want to be in his dad’s shoes. Somehow he had the feeling that the whole thing wouldn’t end in a satisfying manner.

###    
**Chapter 5**  


The next day passed relatively uneventfully. Monday afternoon, Scott was in a job center to see if the employee could inform him about any available jobs in Solvang or closer to the neighborhood. What he found interesting was a job as salesman in a book store. One company searched for a package delivery guy, but he dismissed this offer right away . The employee of the job center wanted to give him jobs as office staff employee, more suiting to his last workplace, but that was something Scott wanted to avoid to work again with suit and tie all day long. He hadn’t yet decided if he should go and apply for the job as salesman in the book store, although he had told his mother he would do just that, just to reassure her. In a way it sounded interesting though. All day working with another interest of his – books. On the other side he first wanted to find out what his heart told him. At the moment he simply didn’t know. 

It was Thursday, and Stephany came home from school, happy that she had a good grade on her test. Jenny was in work, Paul worked at his flower garden and the girl and Scott were again relaxing at the pool under a parasol. He was still reading his book, Stephany read a magazine for girls her age with a lot of news about popstars and first love, everything that especially girls her age found interesting. Then Ben showed up. He shouted a hello to the two people at the pool, but his interest went to Paul. The two man talked to each other, and Wylie told him about his wife’s plans for the weekend.

Stephany was now finished with the magazine and remembered that Jenny had bought her another when they were together in the mall on Sunday. Scott had lent his mother his car for the day, and the girl remembered that she had forgotten the magazine there that she started reading when they were on the way back. She told him about that, and that she wanted to get it. He put his book away and searched where he had put his jeans in which he kept the keys, cell phone and other important things. Stephany saw it first lying behind the backrest of the sun lounger and got up to get it. Scott didn’t mind, he laid down again, his mind still occupied to read ahead. The girl searched his pants pocket and found the keys relatively quick. There was another object in the other pocket, which caught her interest. She took it out. Still, Scott wasn’t aware that Stephy had the sphere in her hands.

“You know,” she said, “Paul has one just like this one.” 

Scott looked at her and his heart pounded about the fact that she had his sphere, and he didn’t know what to answer her now. What she said meant that she had seen the other sphere before, but obviously she wasn’t aware what it could do. For a short moment he glanced to his father, who still talked to Ben about something and hadn’t seen anything that had happened. Scott had to give her an answer. He cleared his throat. 

“Yes, I know,” was all he said. 

“Why do you two carry these around?” she asked and weighted the sphere in her hands. “Is it valuable?”

Scott thought shortly about the situation and didn’t want to lie to that girl. “Yes, it is,” he replied softly, sounding serious. “It was a gift from my dad.”

“Really?……This is an unusual gift….!?” Stephy asked, astonished. “Is it made out of silver?”

“No, it’s not,” Scott carefully answered, hoping that he wouldn’t have to reveal the secret before his father had a chance to talk to her. In this moment Paul called and gestured to Stephy to come over to where he was. The girl’s attention was automatically drawn to him, and the silver little ball was forgotten. She put the sphere back where she found it, got up and ran to her grandfather. 

“What is it?” she wanted to know when she stood next to Paul. 

“The Wylie’s are going next Saturday to a flea market to Santa Barbara, and he asked me if we want to join them.”

Ben had just informed Paul about his wife’s idea to sell things they had just cleaned out of the garage at a big flea market. Forrester was very interested after Ben had informed him what a flea market actually was. He took the word in the beginning literally. Those misunderstandings still happened now and then, even after decades living on earth.

“But I don’t think that we have things to sell, Ben,” he said after he had thought about it. 

Nevertheless, he was excited that they asked him to join them. Wylie explained that they had to get up very, very early, but a flea market meant also fun and a great experience for the alien - and a nice distraction also.

“We’ll need two cars,” Ben explained further, “We need our car to transport the things. There will be no room for passengers in the backseat. 

“No problem,” Paul exclaimed, still a little excited. Jenny didn’t yet know about the plans, but he was sure that she wanted to go as well. “But what’s with the children?” The thought just came into his mind. 

“We’ll leave Sam in care of a babysitter. It’ll be too boring and too exhausting for a three year old. Only John goes if he wants.”

The question if Stephy was invited never came up. So she asked, shyly, “What about me? Can I go too?”

“You can if you want. But you have to get up at three in the morning, honey” Ben answered her, but for the girl that wasn’t a problem.

While Stephany went to get her magazine, which she still wanted to read, the two men came over to Scott, who appeared to have no interest in hearing about the plans for the weekend at all. He remained sitting at the sunlounger, reading, his back resting at the back rest. His father told him about the market and asked if he wanted to go too. 

“No thank you,” he replied after hearing the offer, “I’m not getting up at three in the morning if I’m not forced to. Besides, I don’t have anything to sell either, so it doesn’t make any sense, does it? I don’t need to be present in every one of your plans.” 

He didn’t want to answer him as negatively as it sounded, however he felt sorry when he saw the disappointment in his father’s face. “Listen dad,” he said and hoped to be able to make it up again, “maybe I’ll come visiting you at the market later in the morning, okay?”

Paul still was a bit disappointed, but he tried to understand. He had to learn that he could not expect that his son always joined him whatever the plans of the family were, although he thought that spending time with him could help to make up the last three years he barely saw and talked to him. While Stephy still not had come back, Scott wanted to tell them what had happened just a moment ago. 

“Dad, I wanted to tell you something else.” He spoke very quietly. 

Ben and Paul got attentive. “About what?” Paul asked. 

“Stephy just found my sphere. She asked me things about it, and why I carry it in my pocket, and if it is valuable.”

Ben asked, before the extraterrestrial had a chance to speak up, “What did you answer her?” 

“I didn’t lie to her. I told her it was a gift of my father. Then you called her, and she put it back.”

In this moment Scott’s cell phone rang and he had to stop the conversation. Ben and Paul went over to the patio. 

“I think, Paul,” Ben told him in a concerned voice, “It’s about time now that you speak to this girl. She has to know the truth about you.”

It was Richard on the cell phone and he asked Scott if he had time to help out for the next three days. Richard wanted to visit some horse auctions in the North, and searched for somebody to have a look at the ranch and care for the horses while he was gone. In the beginning, Scott wasn’t happy about it at all. But then the rancher offered him 100 dollars a day. He couldn’t decline the offer. Richard wanted him to stay for these days at the ranch and offered him his house so he could also sleep at the ranch and be there in case of any occurring problem in the night.

His leisure time had an abrupt end. Scott got up, collected his things and went into his apartment to change. When he was finished packing, he found his father sitting in front of his computer surfing the Internet. The Internet page of the United States embassy in Syria was on the screen. He had no time to ask about the Internet page, his father asked him what he had in mind since he was dressed in jeans, T-shirt and a baseball cap on. He carried a jacket and a small bag in his hand. Scott explained what the phone call was about. 

“And you’ll sleep at the ranch?”

“Yes.”

Again, there was a certain disappointment on Paul’s face. “Okay, I’ll tell your mother.” His son had just come back to them, but it seemed they didn’t have a chance to grow together again as a family. How could it, when he was always somewhere else?

“What are you trying to do?” His son pointed to the screen.

“I’m going to call the embassy to see if they know anything about Eric. It has been five weeks since he is missing, and still nobody heard of him or saw him.”

Scott saw the stress and fear his father had about this issue. He knew that Eric meant a lot to him. In a certain way Eric was his father’s son too, at least bodily, no matter how hard it was for himself to accept that. However, his father was very worried about the missing photographer.

All Scott could do was squeeze Paul’s shoulder to comfort him a little and cheer him up. It was indeed a tough time at the moment for these people in North Africa and the Middle East. All they wanted was freedom and a democracy government and not being the subjects of kings and self-appointed rulers.

“I wish you good luck,” he said and then went to start his job.

Paul called the embassy, but nobody answered the phone. A machine informed him that due to the events in the country, the embassy wasn’t occupied. Then he tried it the other way around, and called the Syrian embassy in Washington DC, but all he heard is that they hadn’t any news about Eric Kandell, who was last seen in Damascus, the main city. Then Jenny came home from work. She found her husband still in front of the computer. He looked worn out.

“What’s the matter?” She became worried. Paul told her what he had found out from the telephone conversation or rather about the non-existing news.

“Oh Paul,” she said with a troubled voice, “I’m so sorry to hear that.” She bent down from standing next to him, hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Her loving embrace helped to lighten his mood – at least a little. He kissed her back. 

“Will you tell Stephany about it?”

“Yes, but a little later.”

There was a short silence, and both kept eye contact. Their eyes showed a lot of love for each other. At the end, Jenny even managed that her husband put a smile on.

“That’s better,” she said when she knew her attempt to cheer him up had worked. 

This evening, Paul decided to make dinner. Jenny went to do some household chores, Stephany was watching TV.

While Paul was busy with cutting the salad, he informed his wife about the planned flea market and that they would need a second car for transporting themselves and the two children.

“That’s a nice idea,” she said casually when she was about to set the dinner table in the living room. “But is it necessary to get up this early?”

Paul chuckled, remembering Scott’s reaction when he heard he would have to get up in the middle of the night. He came to her and put the juice glasses down. Then he saw she was setting the table for four people.

“We’ll be only us for dinner. Scott has accepted an offer Richard made him. He’ll be out of town for two or three days and asked him to supervise the ranch around the clock while he’s gone.”

Paul knew that this information would anger her and Jenny almost exploded. “He what??”

Jenny had seen that Scott’s car was gone, but had assumed that he was still in town and had applied for the job as he had told her in the morning. But that he was now on the ranch again really angered her. She wanted him to find out that his return could also mean to find a better job then going straight back to be Richard’s farm hand. 

After dinner Paul told Stephy about what he had found out while talking to the embassy. She reacted very calmly, but he knew that she fought with her tears and lost the battle. 

“Let’s face it. My dad is dead. I’ll never see him again,” she sobbed bitterly, “Why is everybody dying? First mom, now…..”

“Shhhh, don’t cry, my dear,” Paul tried to console her and fought with his tears himself. He led her to the couch and sat down with her. Stephy cried on his shoulder, and the Starman did the only thing he could do for her: hugging the kid and sending thoughts of comfort. He thought how much more this girl could take before she would break literally apart.

###    
**Chapter 6**  


Richard Hayward explained everything before he drove away. Scott had each day about 25 stalls to clean out and feed 36 horses and bring the horses to the pastures. Since there were also boarder horses in a separate barn, he had to do the same there as well. The rancher informed him that the vet would come today to conduct some pregnancy tests on two of his mares. Unfortunately he couldn’t postpone the appointment. 

Scott wasn’t used to the hard work anymore, but also not to the many people who showed up at the ranch. First the vet came, and he had to bring him the mares from the paddock. Everything went fine, both mares were expecting. Then one of the boarders showed up. Richard had told him that he had nothing to deal with them. They usually got their horses from the pasture all by themselves and saddled them up, rode their horses and brought the horses back to the pasture or in their stalls. He just had to bring the horses back in the stall in case they were still on the pasture by the time it got dark, and feed them twice a day, and do the stable work. Then Linda came over with a child and its parents, who should start therapy. When she saw Scott, she was quite surprised. They hadn’t seen or heard from each other since he had moved away. Unfortunately they couldn’t talk much, Linda’s customers were waiting. 

It looked like rain. Jenny decided to see after her horse and wanted to talk to her son as well. Linda was working with a kid on one of the riding corrals, another owner had just came back from trail riding. Jenny couldn’t detect her son anyway near. So she decided to get the horse first. Sparky was so happy that she showed up. He followed her everywhere. Jenny talked a lot to him. She really missed him. Now and then she thought if it wouldn’t be better if she took the dog back with her. Then the other woman left. Jenny was now busy grooming her mare all alone in the stable, except for Sparky who waited uncomplaining next to her, when suddenly Scott came into the boarders stable, pushing a wheelbarrow and a fork. He stopped in his tracks and put the wheelbarrow down, surprised to see her here.

“Hi,” he greeted her in a friendly tone, “Are you going for a ride?”

Jenny was still annoyed about his decision to work here again, and greeted him back and answered a yes, but not so friendly as usually.

“Hey, what’s the matter, mom?” he asked and came over to see why she acted to upset. “Is anything wrong?”

“You bet it is,” she replied as calm as possible, but her voice still carried anger in it. Scott had no idea why she was so angry. Obviously somebody had upset her very much. 

“Is anything wrong – have the Wylie’s upset you again?” 

Jenny had enough. She put the grooming equipment back in the box and wanted to give her son a piece of her mind. Scott just watched her. From her attitude he knew that it was not the Wylie’s fault for her mood. He waited for the things to come.

“Okay Scott,” his mother started, trying to speak as calm as possible, “It’s you who made me angry.”

“Why me? What did I do wrong?”

“I’m angry because you accepted Richard offer so easily like there are no other jobs for you here.” Her voice sounded disappointed. “I thought you wanted to think about your next step regarding your job, and I thought you need time before you decide.”

“I do,” he protested, “Accepting the offer doesn’t mean I work here again for the rest of my life.”

“I hope not, Scott,” his mother exclaimed, “You are so intelligent and bright. You can find better paid jobs then working for minimal wage.”

Now it was Scott who became upset. He loved his mother dearly, but he hated it how she always knew better what was the best for him.

“Mother, please stop interfering in my life. I know myself what’s good for me and what isn’t. Why is it so important for you what job I have? And besides, working here isn’t so bad at all. Okay I might not earn a couple of thousand of dollars like I did the last years, but after you’ve been through what I have gone through, regarding work times and sorrows of how the company makes more and more profit, you would understand that making money is not the most important thing in life. To be satisfied is the keyword here, and love what you are doing….Look mom, we’ve, I mean Pat and I, have been, as you might judge it, kind of rich, I mean we’ve had it all, we both had good incomes, had no kids where we could spend our money – but what we hadn’t was time for fun or ourselves. All we had together was the welfare of the company. This is why my marriage didn’t work out. I’ve found out that I didn’t want to live this way any longer….You know,” he finished, with a sad voice, “I was so happy here. I just haven’t seen it. All I ever dreamt of is living another life, but the truth is that I was a lot richer than all those guys who make millions each day on Wall Street. Just look outside, look at this great environment here - pure nature. And horses don’t betray you like people can, they don’t judge you for how you look and how much money you earn.”

There was a long silence and mother and son eyed each other for a long time. Then she lowered her face and was sorry that she acted like she did. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I know now that I shouldn’t have convicted you. It’s just that I want the best for you. That has never changed since I gave you birth, and I guess it will never change, because you are my only child. I only thought that maybe this sales job in the book store would suit you well, and I was angry when I heard that you went straight back to the stables.”

Now Scott felt sorry too. He pulled her closer to console with her. “It’s okay, mom, I’ll think about the job at the bookstore,” he promised and kissed her on the forehead. “In fact it might be an alternative.”

The sky became darker and darker. As forecast, a storm was about to hit them, so Jenny left without having ridden her horse. 

Linda’s therapy hour was finished too, the people had just left. 

Scott looked up in the sky. “We better get the horses inside.” He already felt some drops falling down. Not two minutes later, the wind started to blow. Lightning was in the sky and thunder roaring. They hadn’t had enough time to open all paddocks and bring the horses inside. It started to rain, it rather poured down. When finally all horses were all secured in the stable, Scott and Linda were totally wet. 

“Oh gosh,” she exclaimed, “Look at me! I’m all wet.”

He didn’t look better either. “Let’s go into the house to warm up.” Both ran in the heaviest rain from the barn into the main house, followed in hot pursuit by the little dog. It still poured down and they saw lightening and heard thunder roaring. This was quite a thunderstorm. Arriving in the house, they removed their jackets and shoes. Sparky shook his body and made a mess in the hallway.

“Geez,” Linda said and hated the damp clothes on her body, “Do you think Richard would mind if I take a shower?”

Scott shrugged his shoulders. Why should he? He put the curtain aside and looked how the thunderstorm developed. The wind blew thick rain drops onto the panes with a little hail in it also. He only hoped that the hail wouldn’t get worse and ruin the roofs of the house and barns and his car.

“Hurry up, I’m cold too!” he shouted back when she went to go into the bathroom. 

Linda showered endlessly. Scott still watched the weather when he detected that his pants were so wet and partly muddy that the water made small puddles on the floor. _Oh Jesus_ he thought and was worried that the water and especially the mud could ruin the expensive carpet he stood on. He had to think of something. Linda was still in the shower, so he got his sphere out and powered it up. Within seconds he dried and cleaned the clothes he was wearing and removed the water stains on the carpet as well. That was a simple task. Then he thought of the dog, who smelled terribly because he had gotten wet. Sparky got a quick pit stop by using the power of the sphere. Then he remembered that Linda would need dry clothes too. He sneaked into the bathroom, concentrated on powering the sphere up again and dried the pile of clothes Linda had put in front of the bathtub. She didn’t see anything because the shower curtain shielded her view. There was just a strange blue light in the corner of her eyes, but just for some seconds. The curtain however allowed only a blurry view.

“Is that you?”

“Yes,” Scott replied, interested if she had seen the light.

“What are you doing? What was this strange blue light?”

“The sphere,” he answered casually, like it would be the most common thing in the world. 

When they were together he told Linda about himself, about his father and about the sphere. Later he thought it was a mistake to tell her. His experience was the main reason not to tell Pat. At that time Linda thought Scott had made the stories up. In her eyes this made up story was another reason why she turned away from him.

“Oh,” Linda mocked him, “I thought so.” Then she turned off the shower. She put the curtain aside, but only so far that her head would fit through. 

“Hand me the towel, please,” she said, which lay prepared next to the sink, “And please would you leave? I don’t need peeping toms.” She sounded annoyed. Scott only chuckled. He handed her what she wanted and left the room.

Scott sat in front of the television together with the dog at his side, when Linda came back. It was still raining outside, but the thunderstorm was over. She had found the dried clothes in the bathroom and put them on. Now she saw him sitting on the sofa with likewise dry and even clean clothes, but they were soaked when they arrived in the house.

“When did you dry our clothes?” she asked, astonished.

“I told you. I dried them with the sphere.”

Linda came over to the sofa and sat down next to him. “Stop kidding me.”

“I’m not kidding you. I told you I can do things with the sphere, but you didn’t believe me.” 

Linda didn’t know what to think of him. This all was very strange. He couldn’t have dried the clothes in the dryer in the 20 minutes they were here. Besides, she knew that Richard’s dryer was broken, and he was too busy to get an electrician, or buy a new one.

“Show me the sphere.” Linda was curious now. She wanted to find out what he had done. Everything here that just had happened was weird. Only Scott acted like it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. 

Scott saw that the little trick had unsettled the young woman. He searched for his sphere, got it out and placed it in her hand. Linda examined it all over, weighted it in her hand. For her it felt like a pinball, but somehow the material was a little strange in her judgment. It wasn’t steel, but it wasn’t a silver ball either.

“This is a pinball,” she said like she wanted to talk sense into him. Scott didn’t like how she talked to him. He switched off the television. 

“No it’s not,” he answered her in the same voice as she just talked to him, “I told you I can do things with it, because I’m half alien. I also told you that my father is a being from a distant star, but you didn’t believe me then, did you?”

“Why are you saying so strange things?”, she yelled back, “Your father is one of the nicest and most attractive guys I have ever met. He is no E.T. Stop acting like a crazy idiot. ”

Scott snatched the sphere back and stood up. He went to the window and looked outside.

“I think you better leave now, Linda,” he proposed after some moments. 

Scott was upset and hurt. Linda knew that she had hurt his feelings. Since she met him they had difficulties, because Linda was a head strong woman, and she often said things to people which she regretted later, like just now. Linda didn’t want to start a fight because of this. They just had met each other after three years, and not even half an hour alone with him they had argued again. Despite that Scott said sometimes strange things, he was a nice guy. Linda got up from the sofa and went to stand next to him.

“I don’t want to fight with you about this,” she apologized in a soft voice, “I’m sorry I have offended you.”

Scott sighed. He turned around to face her. “You know what? This is strange. Why do we always end up fighting?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know - perhaps because we are very different. I mean I’m just a horse crazy woman, and you being an alien half-breed.” Again, she mocked him, especially with her last words. Scott had enough. He wanted to convince her now that it was all the truth what he had told her.

“Linda,” he started again, speaking with the rest of his patience, and took her by the shoulders. “Why don’t you want to believe me? Hasn’t Richard told you about me? I mean you two were together shortly, weren’t you?”

Linda didn’t like the way he talked to her, and she didn’t want to be touched the way he touched her. She shrugged his grip off. “No, we didn’t.”

“Okay,” he said, having now reached the end of his patience. “Actually I’m not allowed to show people without them having signed this damn paper first, and I’ll bet I have a lot explaining to do, but now I’ll prove it to you.”

Linda folded her arms in front of her body, challenging, and just waited, having also reached the end of her patience regarding this alien talk issue. 

Scott took out his sphere. “Give me your hand.” 

“For what?” she wanted to know. 

“I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to you know.”

Reluctantly, Linda did what he wanted and allowed that Scott placed the sphere in her right hand. He cradled her hand with both of his. “Now watch.”

He powered up the sphere - just a little. He knew that she would flinch when she felt the heat. This was exactly what happened. She even jumped a little when the blue light appeared around the little ball. Linda glanced from Scott to the sphere and back. He was fully focused on controlling the light. It was strange, because she found out that his mind controlled the light, and that it was not a toy. There was indeed something alien about the little ball. On the other hand, it radiated nothing to be afraid of, rather a calmness and peacefulness, and penetrated her mind in a strange way, and there was of course the warmth in her hand. After a few seconds, Scott powered it down. 

“What was that?” she said after some time. She still had the sphere in her hand. It was now the same silver globe as before the light had emerged from it. There wasn’t a heat anymore at all. She handed it back.

“I powered it up only to a minimal level,” Scott explained when he put it away, now with a calm and wise voice, “This light is what my dad originally is, and I’m that to a half. When you power it up more, you can make neat things with it.”

“What things?” she wanted to know, still not convinced and not knowing what to think of what she had just witnessed and felt.

“All kind of things, the wildest things beyond your imagination and, of course, drying wet clothes for example,” he said. When he saw the dog, who eyed him in his special way by tilting his head, he continued, “And drying stinking little dogs.” He found the remark funny and chuckled, but Linda didn’t. When he saw how confused she looked, he knew he had to tell her the whole story. He would have to tell Ben about the fact that Linda knew the secret too, but in his eyes this was now necessary. 

“Come,” he said and lead her over to the couch to sit down, “I’ll better start with chapter one of my life.”

While Linda listened with interest, but also with bewilderment, Scott told her everything she needed to know. 

“And they are keeping him now in this house, and this is also the reason why Ben and his wife are more or less always with him - and Linda please,” he continued with urgency in his voice, “You may not talk to others about this secret. Do you hear? Otherwise that can endanger my father’s stay here. They’ll bring him to someplace else if you can’t keep this secret.”

Scott had watched her, Linda hadn’t said much, just listened, she looked now totally bewildered. Had she believed what he just had told her? The woman just looked at Scott and was silent. No question was being asked.

“You are not afraid of me or my dad now, are you?” Scott wanted to know, he didn’t know what she thought of him momentarily.

She shook her head no, but all this made no sense. This crazy story he just had told her, but on the other side there was this ball with the light. It felt indeed out of this world. She wanted to leave and think about everything. In a way she saw the people she thought she knew in a totally different light now.

“I’ll better leave now,” she said and got up, still a little shaken and confused. 

“Do you want me to drive you home? You look a bit shaken.”

“No, it’s alright,” she forced herself to say and got up to get her jacket. 

“Good bye,” is all she said when she left.

###    
**Chapter 7**  


.  
The rain contained a little hail, and this ruined the plants in Paul’s new flower bed. The whole garden was a mess. Small branches of trees lay in the grass and in the pool. Dirt was all over the patio. When he saw the catastrophe with the flowers, he knew he had to fix it when Stephany was in school. The next day after the girl was in school, he went outside and got out his sphere. Carefully he looked around if nobody was watching, and when he was sure it was safe, he brought the sphere to life and concentrated on his flower beds. Within moments the flowers were all well again, like nothing had happened to them. Later in the morning, George Fox came to visit Forrester. Paul opened the door and saw that his former enemy brought photo albums and folders with him. George had mentioned during the barbeque that he’d like to show him the pictures he made from his stay in Europe. Both sat down on seats on the patio. The weather was better again. Sylvia was still sick, but she sent the Forrester’s best wishes.

“How was the thunderstorm here yesterday?” George asked when he saw that the flower beds looked good. Where he lived, it was raining dogs and cats yesterday. He even saw that streets were floated.

“It was quite a rain here too.” Paul didn’t mention that he just had used the sphere to bring the flowers back to life. George didn’t ask anymore about it and came to the purpose of his visit.

“I got the photos from Europe developed.” He waited for Forrester’s reaction and saw immediately how curious Paul became. 

“Oh, yes, please let me see!”

Fox showed him the pictures he made from Germany, their first stop. He and his girlfriend Sylvie went with a tour group from one big city in Europe to the next. Every other day they were someplace else. 

“This is the Gorch Fock,” George explained him while Paul looked at a picture of a big sailing ship. “That’s in Hamburg, Germany” Paul glanced at him to see if he had just made a joke. 

“Say again. What’s the name of this ship?”

The former agent pronounced it again. “Gorch Fock.”

Forrester chuckled. “It sounds like your name - George Fox.”

The ex-agent joined him in this lame joke. “Yes, I know, Sylvie teased me too. No, for real. The ship is named Gorch Fock, like the guy of who the ship is named after.”

Paul leafed through other pictures from other cities, and it saddened him that he never will have a chance to see those cities from the old world himself. Fox explained every picture in detail. From Germany they went to Austria. There they visited Vienna, and suddenly George remembered the book he had bought for Paul. 

“Oh before I forget it, this is for you.” He handed Paul the small book. Forrester thanked him for this nice gift and regarded it for a long time. Unfortunately he couldn’t understand everything in the book, but according to the pictures, it was a recipe collection for cakes. “I got this in a book store. It contains several recipes for apple pies. Paul, believe me, I’ve never eaten better apple pies than there.”

After they had looked at all of the photos, Paul was indeed a little sad. “I wish I could visit all these places sometime. There is so much to see. Europe is a land full of old culture.”

“Paul, we can’t let you leave the country. We talked about it several times.”

Fox knew it wouldn’t be the last time they had to remind him that leaving the country was totally out of the question. Somehow he could understand him well, on the other side it was simply too dangerous. Forrester was the only extraterrestrial they had, he was priceless and he had to learn that he simply wasn’t allowed to do things other people could. 

“I understand, but sometimes it’s just not fair.” 

George thought now that showing him the pictures from the vacation was probably not a good idea. Now he dreamt of going to those places, and he knew that nobody would approve it. He wanted to change the topic.

“Uh Paul,” he began, trying not to sound too harsh, “I wanted to talk to you about Stephany. Have you talked to her yet?”

“No, not yet.” Paul was still busy fighting his desire to see the ship in Hamburg and eat apple pies in Europe’s finest bakeries in person, now Fox directed his thoughts to a problem he didn’t want to deal with at the moment.

“You know it’s about time now.”

“I don’t want to scare her.”

“You don’t need to scare her,” Fox replied, “Explain it to her so she can understand. If you postpone it day for day the problem won’t vanish. You only make the problem worse if you leave her in the belief you are her grandfather.” 

 

When George had left, Paul had only minutes before Stephy came home from school. He thought over and over how to explain her about his real identity, but still he hadn’t a clue how to accomplish the task without frightening the child, without losing her at the end. He wanted to avoid that at any price. Paul remembered still very well, like it was yesterday, when he told his son about who he was. Scott was three years older than the girl, but he was then also afraid and distraught. And besides, Stephy was such a different character than the boy was then, so vulnerable, sensitive and fragile. She was living here for the last eight weeks, thinking she lived with his grandfather and not with somebody who just looked like Forrester. What would she think of him when he told her now all of a sudden that he was an alien from outer space? Now he wished he had talked to her earlier. 

Stephy came home and Paul only waited for a chance for the right moment. She went in the garden to see that the flowers were okay again. 

“The rain wasn’t so bad after all,” Stephy said to Paul when she had inspected the garden. 

They went inside, and she turned on the TV. Paul was nervous, his heart was pounding. He sat down on his armchair and eyed her for a while. She saw that he watched her, and normally he wasn’t interested in seeing her afternoon program. 

“What’s the matter?” she asked shyly, presuming she had done something wrong. Forrester inhaled a deep breath. 

“Stephy I have to talk to you. You better turn off the TV.”

That sounded serious. She did as she was told. The girl waited, not understanding what had happened.

“Do you have news about my father?”

That was of course the first what came in the girl’s mind. She thought that Paul had news, probably bad news of Eric, but it wasn’t the case.

“No, don’t worry, it’s not about your father. It’s about me.”

Stephy swallowed a lump. What did her grandfather want to tell her? Maybe that she couldn’t stay here anymore? First tears appeared in her eyes. It broke Paul’s heart to see her that way, but he wanted to move on with the explaining.

“Have you ever read Jenny’s story “My Starchild”? 

Stephy stopped crying immediately after feeling the relief. She hadn’t expected such a question. She had never read Jenny’s first book about Paul’s and Scott’s adventures while they were on the run, although she was aware of the book. She once had started reading it, but stopped in-between because she found the stories to be too much science fiction and that didn’t interest her. This also meant she never became aware that the stories were based on facts. A year later Jenny wrote another book, her personal story from Scott’s birth up to the point where she left him. It was never published, not until today, but he knew the girl had the first draft one time in her hands. 

“No, I didn’t read it to the end. It was like the other book. Too much science fiction.” She was relieved that her grandfather just wanted to have an answer to this strange question.

“Well, suppose this story is the truth, and that the alien Jenny writes about having given her a child,” Paul carefully spoke, “is me.” He waited for a reaction. The only reaction he got out of Stephy is a short chuckle.

“Come on, grandpa,” she replied in an unsure voice, “Why are you today so different? Stop mocking me. This isn’t funny.”

Paul didn’t want to give up. “What if it is the truth?” 

Now he had reached the point where Stephy didn’t know anymore if his statement was an act to scare her, or if really something serious was behind it. 

Just in the moment where he wanted to move on explaining, they heard a noise at the door. Jenny came home and ruined his further plan. She came in the living room, in the best mood. 

“And what are you two doing?” she asked, and kissed first Stephany, then her husband on the cheek.

“He tried to mock me, but it didn’t work.” 

Jenny gave Paul a questioning look. Making fun of other’s expenses wasn’t his style at all. Had she interrupted anything? She thought so when he saw his troubled face. Her husband didn’t say anything anymore, maybe he was disappointed. The talk hadn’t obviously developed like he wanted.

“Okay guys,” she proposed, “It’s such a beautiful day. Do you want to come with me to the ranch? Carol can’t ride today, and the horse needs exercise. Do you want to ride?”

Stephy wasn’t a horse fan like Jenny was. But she didn’t want to refuse the invitation either. 

“Okay, why not?” Stephy turned her head towards Paul. “Are you coming too?”

There was a long silence. Paul was still disappointed that his plan hadn’t worked at all. He was still at the same point as before. “Okay, I’ll talk to Ben.”

He stood up and went to the phone. 

“Why is he asking Ben for allowance to go?” Stephy asked Jenny. 

It was seldom that Paul went during the last eight weeks someplace. He simply hadn’t time for this and was working in his office on the probe project, so possible allowance calls never attracted the girl’s attention. And when Wylie came over, she thought that her grandfather and Ben simply were good friends. Jenny never answered this question.

“He’ll come over to the ranch with his own car,” Paul informed them after speaking to Ben. We can go.”

When they arrived at the stable, Jenny and Stephy went to the horse and got it from the pasture. They started grooming it and prepared it for the ride. Not even five minutes later Ben arrived at the ranch’ parking lot. He saw Paul strolling towards the barn where he expected to find his son. The extraterrestrial found him putting tools in one of the saddlebags. His favorite mount, Loredo, stood there fully saddled and waiting to be ridden.

“Hi, Scott!” he greeted him and Scott turned his head and was surprised to find his father coming into the barn.

“Hi, dad, what’s up?”

“Jenny talked Stephy into riding in the riding corral. I just came along,” he answered and eyed his son. His son’s appearance had changed. This certain sadness was gone. He radiated love of life, knowing that he was needed here.

“The two days here have done wonders to you,” Paul continued, “Look at you, you definitely know how to raise your spirits.” Scott chuckled joyfully. Indeed, he felt really great today, and his spirits were up. “What are you doing?” Forrester saw that his son put a box of nails and a hammer in one of the saddlebags. 

“I’ll ride over to the east pasture. Richard told me if I have time I could fix the fence.”

“Hi, you two.” Ben arrived in the barn in the same moment. “Where are the others?” 

Paul and Scott greeted him, and Paul informed him that Jenny and Stephy prepared the horse in the other barn for a ride. 

“I’ll have to go,” Scott said and mounted the horse. Then he remembered to tell Ben about what he had to confess to Linda yesterday.

“Uhh Ben, I have to inform you about something,” he said from above, not knowing exactly what to say to not upset him, “Yesterday I had to tell Linda about dad and me. So don’t be surprised when she’s acting strange and asks you things.”

Wylie knew that one more person who knew the secret was also one more potential risk. Like Scott had assumed, it had angered Ben somehow.

“Was this necessary?” 

He young man had expected that he would react that way “Yes, sorry.” Then he urged on the horse and rode away.

“Be careful!” his father shouted after him while he was still in ear reach.

Scott didn’t answer, he just turned in his seat and waved a good bye.

They had saddled the horse, and Stephy was now riding Farah in the corral, while Jenny watched her. Paul wanted to join them. He and Ben went over to them. They saw another car approaching. It was Linda’s. They stopped halfway. Linda climbed out of her car and went straight to the barn. She just waved her hand as a greeting towards the men and the two people at the corral. Paul and Ben looked at each other with just one question in mind. Why was Linda so different? Normally she came over and had a small talk with everybody before she went into the barn. Now she was totally withdrawn. They went back to the barn building. When they arrived, they saw that Linda had just emerged from the tack room with a halter in her hands. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the two men in front of her.

Paul didn’t need to touch the woman to find out that she was still uneasy. The woman eyed him a little frightened, but also curious. There he was. Scott’s father, of whom he said that he was in reality an alien from outer space. Somehow it was hard to believe. That guy could be her father, but he carried a certain sexual attraction. And then his magical eyes. This stinging blue in his eyes. She always felt she would melt like wax when she looked into his eyes. Paul spoke first.

“Scott told us that he had to tell you the truth about us.” He touched her shoulder. She flinched for a second. 

“You don’t need to be afraid of me or my son. We won’t harm you or anyone else.”

Linda could feel his touch and the friendship he radiated. It was the touch of a gentle, sensitive, superior being she didn’t understand yet. She wanted not to be afraid, but couldn’t force herself to calm down all the way. It didn’t happen very often that people found themselves between guys who looked human, but weren’t one in reality.

“Scott has told you already,” Ben interrupted them, “You must keep this secret for all costs.”

“I will, I promise.”

Paul smiled at her. There it was again, this irresistible smile she found so attractive on him. 

“I must….get the horse,” Linda finally said, a little distracted by Forrester’s eyes, smile and touch. Ben and Paul looked after her until she was out of sight. 

“Did you see how distracted she was?” Ben asked in a teasing voice, “Boy oh boy, you have surly a way with women.”

 

Scott rode to the east pasture and fixed the broken wooden fence with nails. Then he mounted again and rode home. He decided to take the path back through the forest which belonged to the property. It was still a little muddy from yesterday’s rain. It felt so good to be on horseback again after such a long time. He had missed this feeling of total freedom when he was sitting on a horse. A thought came in his mind, and he remembered the day when he was riding Richard’s highly-prized stud horse through this particular forest on the day when they took his father away. The day his whole life had changed. That was now five and a half years ago. 

Scott was a little distracted, and the accident happened so fast, that he had no time to react. Loredo, his mount, heard a wild bird screeching, which sat on top of the branches on one of the next trees. This noise obviously frightened him. Without advanced notice, Loredo turned around in a single jump by 180 degrees. Scott couldn’t follow the motion. A second later he fell out of the saddle and was landing on the floor onto his knees. One knee fell on a stone. 

“Ahh!…..Loredo!!!” he yelled out of shock and anger about the reaction of the horse. Unfortunately, he didn’t let go of the one rein that he still had in his hand. Loredo made another jump and the motion banged Scott’s body with head first towards the next tree. He passed out after the impact.

Some minutes later Scott woke up, thinking he was in his bed. But when he turned his head, he became aware that he was laying on the forest floor. He remembered what just had happened.

 _Oh Lord,_ he thought and tried to rise. There was suddenly a sharp pain in his head. Slowly, he rose in a sitting position. He checked himself as far it was possible. There wasn’t any pain, except for the pain in the head, but why did he feel so strange, so out of focus? Slowly, he tried to stand up. He had to find the horse. It was standing not far away and munched on grass. Scott found it hard to think with this dizziness in his head, and then suddenly he felt very sick.

 _I must ride home, somehow_ he thought, _Man, how could this happen to me?_ It was just a second, and he was totally unprepared of the reaction his horse had on the screech of the bird. Loredo had never done this before. Scott felt so sick, he thought he would throw up. So he sat down again, his head hanging, and more blood dripped down on his clothes. It became so bad that he had to lie down, knees bent. His breathing became heavily, his circulation was not working well. 

_I’m not gonna make it home,_ he thought, frightened and shocked, _I’m gonna pass out again._ The sickness was terrible. For a short moment he thought he’ll die. Then he remembered the cell phone in his pocket. Unfortunately, he felt so sick at the moment that he couldn’t even think of getting it out and dealing with the small buttons until he hopefully would reach anybody.

 _The sphere,_ he thought then. He got it out of his pants pocket, and to activate and see it, he had to raise up the head a little. Endless moments passed until he could power it up. But the light was so weak. He doubted that it was enough for the emergency call to get through. Scott had no power left for working the sphere, so he stopped. The sickness became a little better and he wanted to make another try to rise and mount the horse. 

When he finally stood again, his knees felt like rubber. His head throbbed and his body trembled inside. He knew that he was in trouble. Suddenly he felt very cold. Slowly, he made it towards the grazing horse. With iron will he grabbed the reins, put his left foot in the stirrup and pushed himself up in the saddle. His head was spinning afterwards like a roller coaster.

“Take me home, buddy,” he told the horse and felt more blood running down his face. The impact with the tree had caused a bad bleeding wound at his left side of his head. Because of the dizziness, Scott couldn’t almost see where the horse took him. He had a terrible headache, and his knees hurt, and everything was just blurry around him. And then the sickness came back. He only hoped that the horse would find the way home all by himself.

Paul, Ben and Jenny watched the girl riding in slow pace over the riding corral. Jenny enjoyed the whole session much more then Stephy did. Linda rode another horse in the other riding corral. They chatted with each other, until Paul felt for a second an energy rise in his pants pocket. He looked suddenly surprised and stopped in the middle of his talk.

“What is it?” Jenny wanted to know.

Paul didn’t answer her; he went straight into the barn. There was a call from the sphere, but for such a short time. It meant somebody tried to contact him, and it could only mean that Scott wanted something. But why had he stopped? Somehow this worried him a little. When he was in the barn, he checked that nobody else was there and activated his sphere to contact his son. Unfortunately he got no response. Jenny had followed him and wanted to know what this was all about. 

“I don’t know, there is no response.” 

He became more worried. Something had happened, he felt it. He went outside again and looked over the whole pastures as far as he could see. But there was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Is there anything wrong with Scott? Tell me!” Jenny became aware that there was something wrong. She could see it in her husband’s eyes. 

“I don’t know yet, honey,” was all what he could answer her.

Jenny got her cell phone out and tried to reach her son. Again, nobody answered. “Why is he not answering?” 

Paul activated the sphere again, this time he used it to home in on the signal of the other one. Some moments later he knew where to start the search. 

“He isn’t very far away,” was all he said, and then both started to go towards the direction of the signal. 

Ben was startled when he saw Paul and Jenny emerging from the barn, and Forrester had the sphere powered up. This could only mean trouble. Stephy stopped her horse because she was surprised about what she saw. There was a strange blue light in her grandfather’s hand. Wylie started running. Everybody saw now a horse and a rider appearing next to the parking lot, using an unusual path.

Loredo made it. He went straight home in a comfort walk in less then ten minutes. Scott was so happy that they finally arrived. His telephone rang once and he felt his sphere getting contacted, but he couldn’t think of dealing with either one of them. He felt so sick and dizzy that he couldn’t even cry out for help. But when he was lying more on the horse’s neck than he was sitting, he saw out of the corner of his eyes people running towards him. Somebody screamed up in horror. It was his mother. Then his father was standing next to him, horrified to see what had happened to him. Paul was like his wife very much appalled. It was like his heart had stopped for a moment when he saw the blood on his son’s head and face. 

“Scott!”, he shouted in horror, “what have you done?”

“God in heaven, what happened to you?” Ben exclaimed also in horror, when he arrived and saw how Scott looked. There was blood all over his left face side and on his shirt, the clothes ragged and muddy. 

“I had an accident,” was all what Scott could say. He had to breathe, otherwise he knew he would pass out. Then suddenly there were more people at the scene, Linda and Stephy. They had dismounted when they had seen what the shouting was all about. Everybody was so excited and shocked.

His father dragged him off the horse, and when he felt his feet reaching the ground, he held on to the saddle, otherwise his knees would buckle. Scott looked in the face of his mother. She looked horrified.

His father took him by the arm, dragging him off to the side and letting him sit. Ben went to get the first aid kit from his car. 

“I’ll call my wife!” he shouted in his excitement.

“How did this happen?” his father asked and looked at him horrified. Scott assumed that it looked worse than it actually was.

“I had a fall from the horse in the forest,” he informed everybody in-between breathings. He felt sickness rising again, and he began inhaling the air to make it better. Suddenly Ben was there again and applied a bandage over his head. 

“What are we doing now?” Jenny wanted to know, almost hysterical. Linda tried to comfort the girl, she was sobbing. 

“Christina waits for us at your place.” She had proposed to use the medical units, which were in the Forrester’s basement, all waiting for a possible emergency in case the alien got hurt. There was an x-ray unit and even a CAT apparatus.

“I have to unsaddle the horse first,” Scott said in his shock in-between breathings. Nobody answered him. Paul and Ben helped him up and supported his walk to the car. They loaded him in the passenger seat of Ben’s car and drove off.

When they arrived at home, Christina was already waiting. Together the two men helped Scott to move inside the house. 

“Be careful,” Christina reminded them and opened all doors for them. Somehow with every available help from the people on the scene, they made it in the basement. They laid the injured man on the table to x-ray his head. Christina opened the bandage.

“Is it bad?” Scott wanted to know in-between his attempts to inhale air, “I feel so sick.”

“I give you something in a minute. First let me see.”

The doctor examined his head. “How did this happen?” She could see a cut on his head, about one inch long.

“Riding accident. I fell off and didn’t let go of the rains. Loredo jumped and I banged into a tree.”

“Where else does it hurt?” 

The whole body ached, but especially the knees where he fell on first. He told her about it.

In this moment Jenny and Stephy came running in the room. 

“Is he badly hurt?” Jenny wanted to know, still very much excited. All this reminded her of the day years go when she saw her bleeding son on an examining table in the hospital. Only this time he wasn’t unconscious and this calmed her a little. 

“He has a concussion, for sure.” Christina prepared the units and turned Scott’s head in the direction she wanted it to be x-rayed. All people had to leave the room when the picture was being taken. Then they came back, and Christina wanted a x-ray picture of his knees. 

“We have to undress you,” she informed him, “How could this happen? Didn’t you wear a helmet?” 

Scott felt so sick, that he didn’t mind when she started to unbutton his jeans. 

“No, I didn’t,” he answered, a little ashamed because he hadn’t worn one. He never wore a helmet when he was riding. Richard neither. They were both cowboys wearing either baseball caps or cowboy hats when they were horseback. Paul and Ben continued stripping the young men down to his underwear, while Christina opened his T-shirt by cutting it off. The machine was adjusted that she could x-ray both knees. There were black and blue. 

The result was that there were no broken bones and no internal bleeding. And his knees didn’t show any broken bones either. Christina checked the rest like eyes, ears, blood pressure and heart, but everything was fine according to the circumstances. 

“You were very, very lucky, Scott,” Christina said to her patient after the examination, who still lay on the table, “It’s just a concussion and this little wound on your head. You could have ended up dead, did you know that?” She remembered reading this week about a similar accident in the newspaper. A girl had a riding accident and bumped with the head into a tree. She even wore a helmet, but ended up very hurt in the hospital.

Jenny was at the side of her son and took a worried look. “Will he be alright?” 

“He will be.” Christina wanted to cheer up the worried mother and smiled at her encouraging. 

Then she went over to a cabinet and prepared an injection. 

“I’ll give him something against the pain and shock.” 

She went over to her patient and gave him the injection.

Paul wondered what the medicine was. “Is it the same you gave me when I had the concussion?”

She smiled at the Starman and said softly, “yes”. She saw the worried look on Forrester.

Christina started to clean Scott’s head and face and wiped away all dried blood. At the end she examined the wound carefully. “Listen, we need to fix that with some stitches.” The drug showed effect, Scott’s breathing became easier, and he became tired. He just nodded a little and remained otherwise silent. 

Jenny, Ben and Stephy were also in the room, but this was clearly an emergency, and Paul spoke up, “No, please, this is not necessary. I can fix it.”

Christina eyed him surprised. “Okay,” she said reluctant, “We can do it of course your way, but have you told Stephy yet?”

He shook his head no. 

Paul had no other choice. He didn’t want Scott to suffer when everything could be healed in a very short time. Stephy was standing in front of Ben, having said nothing at all. Seeing Paul’s son, her uncle, so badly hurt shocked her a bit. Paul went to her and bent down to be with her in one eye level. 

“Listen honey,” he started in a soft voice and took her by one arm, “I know I should have told you earlier, but somehow there was never the right time. You’ll witness something now which will probably frighten you. But you don’t need to be frightened. Everything will be all right and I’ll explain everything later.” 

Stephy just looked at him with big, surprised eyes and didn’t know what this was all about. Then, Paul went over to stand next to Scott to be able to see what he had to heal. The eyes of his son were closed now, the drug made him sleepy. Christina had cleaned the wound, so he just had to heal it. With his eyes on Stephy, on whose shoulders Bens hands rested like he would calm her with this gesture, Paul got out his sphere. There was suddenly a strange silence in the room. Stephy turned her head around up to Ben and asked, “What is he doing with the sphere?”

Ben silenced her. He knew Paul needed concentration. With a confident smile at his beautiful, but still worried wife, Paul activated the sphere. He heard Stephy getting startled when she saw the light again. Now the sphere made a quiet humming noise. The alien sent the light towards Scott’s head, and the light engulfed it. Ben felt how frightened the girl became, she pressed her body against his. She assumed correctly, that Paul himself produced the light and could control it. After only seconds the head wound was healed. The light faded. Paul glanced again towards the girl. Like he had assumed, she was indeed very much frightened and almost shocked. 

“It’s alright,” Jenny comforted her and went to her and took her in her arms, “There is nothing to be afraid of.” 

It didn’t help. Stephy started to cry. The person she knew as her grandfather was now all of a sudden a stranger. It broke Paul’s heart to see what he had caused, but he wasn’t finished yet. Once again he powered up the sphere and healed also the bruises on Scott’s knees. With a quick check by running the light over his sons entire body, he made sure that there were no other injuries nobody knew of yet. That done, he powered down the sphere and pocketed it.

“He’s okay now,” Paul said to Christina, “All he needs is rest.” The extraterrestrial came over to Jenny and Stephy. 

“Why are you so afraid?” he asked the girl, who still pressed her body against her grandmother. 

Stephy didn’t know anymore what to think. What she had witnessed made no sense. The stories of Jenny’s book came in her mind, and she remembered now that the alien, in the book Peter Forster, could heal people with a small little ball, the same way her grandfather did just moments ago. Now she connected everything that she had read and just had seen together and became aware that the stories weren’t stories at all. She just landed in a strange science fiction movie and her beloved grandfather was obviously the main character.

“I’m scared,” she spoke to him, her eyes filled with hot tears, “What was the light?”

”I healed Scott’s wounds with this light.”

“How could you do this?”

“The sphere can do this.” Paul knelt down on one knee to be with her in one eye level. “Do you want me to show you what the sphere can do?”

She shook her head no. “Who are you?” 

Stephy’s world was suddenly upside down. She loved this man in front of her, the man who cared for her, and he didn’t look like a man whom she had to fear, but what she just witnessed frightened her. Paul wanted to be honest. 

“I come originally not from earth.” 

“Don’t talk this way,” she said frightened and crying, “You are scaring me.”

“I don’t want to scare you,” Paul softly said, “It’s the truth.” 

“He is frightening me, grandma,” the girl said, and looked to the woman who held her, then to Ben and finally to Christina, “Tell him to stop.”

“This is exactly what we wanted to avoid,” Ben spoke up and wanted to end the explaining for now. He was angry about how the situation had developed. “Let’s go upstairs. We’ll talk about that later. First let’s bring Scott upstairs.”

Jenny went with Stephy upstairs and wanted to have a talk alone with the girl. Scott hadn’t moved, but now Christina wanted him to wake up so that Paul and Ben could bring him to his bed. She tried to rouse him and it worked, although he was still quite groggy.

“Do you feel strong enough to sit up?” she asked the young man, and helped him when he moved into a sitting position. 

“Did I miss anything?” he asked, a little out of focus. The drug still influenced him. 

“Can you two bring him to his bed?” Christina wanted to know.

The question wasn’t meant for him, but Scott asked, “Why?”

“We’ll try,” Ben and Paul said.

Paul and Ben took each of Scott’s arms around their shoulders and brought him this way up to his apartment and in his bed. Christina cleaned everything up in the basement room, and they all met in the Forresters’ living room.

When Paul and Ben came downstairs again, Christina gave Paul a piece of her mind. “I told you to tell her weeks ago in a very gentle way,” she scolded him like a mother her child, “Did you see how frightened she was?”

“I know,” Paul said, “I should have told her earlier. But it was never the right time for it. I tried today after Mr. Fox spoke to me, but we got cut off.”

Christina sighed. She reminded herself that she wasn’t in charge anymore, and she was really glad about it now. So it wasn’t actually her problem. It was her husband’s problem somehow, and when he wrote the general about what all had happened today, she knew he was gonna flip. 

“Okay Paul, I don’t have time to discuss this matter. John is watching his sister, and I need to go home.”

Forrester was sighing, too. He knew he had a lot to fix and hoped when he talked to the frightened girl she would understand.

“Thank you, Christina, for your help.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, calmer again, “It’s my job. Call me if your son is not feeling well by tomorrow, okay?”

Scott’s accident was another worry that lay on Paul’s mind. He was indeed so lucky. It could have ended differently, even fatally. He didn’t want to imagine. For the moment, however, the problem with Stephy was the priority for him. 

“What are you going to do now about Stephy?” Ben wanted to know.

“I’ll go and talk to her.”

“Yes, do that,” Ben proposed, “I’ll call you later today, okay?”

The Wylie’s left the house, and Paul went to Stephy's room.

Jenny had already started explaining everything from the beginning to the end in a way a child could understand. Paul entered the room, and saw his wife sitting on Stephy’s bed right beside her. He sat down opposite them on the swivel chair Stephy had in her bedroom. The girl had red eyes, and had cried, but she had also listened. When Paul touched her arm, and she looked at him, he didn’t feel fear anymore towards him. There was rather disappointment.

“So you aren’t really my grandfather.”

It hurt him to answer her this question, but he shook his head no. “Not in the same way you thought I am.”

“Then my real grandfather is dead. Like the rest of my family. Then I only have my other grandparents, Joanna and Tom.”

“We don’t know yet if Eric is dead,” Paul reminded her and waited for further questions.

“Since you are a superior being from outer space, why haven’t you brought my father back from where he is at the moment?” the girl asked naively, “Can you bring my mother back with your sphere?”

Also to this question Paul had to shake his head no. “I can do a lot with the sphere, but not things like that. Believe me I would have done it if I could.”

Again, Stephy started to cry. Her mind hadn’t yet understood everything. She felt so confused. For a child it was hard to understand.

“Please don’t cry, Stephy,” Paul comforted her and stroked her head, “Nothing has changed. I’m still the same man you knew. I love you with every beat of my heart, maybe even more than the real Paul Forrester ever would have.”

“I know, but I feel so betrayed,” she said between sobs, “Why haven’t you told me that you aren’t who you pretend to be?”

“We thought Eric will come back in a week or two and take you back. The more people who know that I was not” - he thought how he could explain it best - “born here, the way other people were born, the better. Only a few people know. Can you imagine what will happen when many people know about me and the things I can do and spread the word?” 

Stephy nodded slowly. “They will bring you back to that secret place Jenny had told me.”

“Yes, probably,” Paul said, “And they would part me from people I love most. My wife and my son and my little girl.”

“But I’m not really your grandchild,” Stephy demanded, “I don’t belong here anymore.”

“Says who?” Paul countered, “Of course you belong to this family, because we love you and we will always be there for you.”

There was a long silence and Stephy thought about what has been said. 

“Are you feeling okay now?” Jenny wanted to know and Stephy looked up. 

“I’m okay.”

Jenny kissed her on her forehead and gave her a hug. The girl barely returned it.

“Do you have more questions you want me to answer?” 

Again, Stephy shook her head no. “I want to be alone now if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” Jenny answered and got up, not exactly knowing if leaving her alone was the right decision. Paul thought the same, but even though Stephy was a child, they respected her privacy. “I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

Jenny went upstairs to check on her son, but he was still asleep, and it looked that that would stay the same for the rest of the evening and night. Paul was feeling depressed when she came back. He tried to make something to eat, but his mind was on other things.

“How is he?” 

“Asleep. He’s fine.”

Jenny knew that he still thought about Stephy. “Hey”, she tried to cheer him up, “Everything will be okay. The girl loves you because of you and not because of how you might look.”

“I hope,” Paul replied, “However, revealing the truth has upset her very much. She’s still so frightened and confused.”

“Don’t worry, she will get used to this situation, like anybody else too.” 

Dinner was quiet, and Stephy talked only when she was being asked. It was like in the beginning when she came in this house, before she opened up. Paul didn’t know what he should do about this issue. Somehow he felt that the girl needed time to get used to the new situation, and he didn’t want to crowd her. The only positive thing was that she wasn’t afraid of him anymore, only very disappointed and probably confused. The rest of the evening Paul had to spend mostly with telephone conversations. First Linda called and wanted to know how Scott was. She had volunteered to stay over night at the ranch. Paul informed her that he was in bed and was doing okay. When the phone call ended, George Fox called after the Wylie’s had probably informed him about what had happened. Forrester had to tell him the whole episode. A while later, the phone rang again, and Richard wanted to know what had happened – Linda had meanwhile talked to him on the phone. In-between, Ben came over and Jenny talked to him about what happened since. Now they both hoped that this was the last time the phone rang. Late in the night the phone rang again. They were already in bed, when General Ryder called from Washington, and Paul had to tell the story a fourth time. Ryder was not pleased about the events.

“I’m coming in two days to see for myself what’s going on,” he fumed, “I want to talk to your son and Miss Mason myself.”

###    
**Chapter 8**  


The next day was again warm and sunny. It was Friday, and Stephy’s last day in school for the week. 

“Good morning, Stephany,” Paul greeted her when he saw her coming in the kitchen, dressed in blue jeans and a pink T-shirt, washed and ready for school. She rarely wore a dress or skirt, which Paul have liked to see on her more often. The girl greeted back, but her behavior was different than usual.

“Did you sleep well?”

She only shrugged. Like always, her grandfather had put milk and cereal on the table, and she helped herself and put both in a bowl and started eating. Jenny came in the room, ready to go to work at 8:30. She greeted Stephy and asked if she slept well. Again, the girl shrugged. 

“Not so well then, huh?” Jenny saw on her behavior that she wasn’t okay like she said. But what could she do to help the kid? 

“Hey,” she proposed to lighten up the mood, “Tomorrow is the day we’re going to this flea market. Are you already excited?”

Stephy didn’t answer. She only shrugged and continued to eat her cereal. 

Scott woke up. He had slept for 15 hours and felt somehow weird. Strange dreams had haunted him. He got up. The sickness and the dizziness were gone, and so was the pain. When he felt for the wound on his head, he found out that there wasn’t any. Only a strange alcoholic smell coming from his facial skin where Christina had washed the blood off, and there was dried blood in his hair. He went in the bathroom to shower and do his usual morning routine. Dressed with fresh clothes he came downstairs and was right on-time to meet everyone.

“Hi,” he greeted everybody, “Good morning.”

Jenny jumped up and was happy to see him well again. “Oh good that you are awake,” she said, and ushered him to sit, while Paul welcomed him with a friendly good morning.

“How are you today?” Paul wanted to know, while Jenny took her son’s chin in her hand and turned his head to be able to see for herself if the wound was healed.

“Amazing. Not a scratch,” she said in awe, while Stephy eyed the scene with sudden interest and stood up from the chair to get a look. 

“I’m okay, I guess,” Scott replied, after his mother was satisfied with the condition of his head and sat down on her chair again, “You fixed this, didn’t you?” he spoke in the direction to his father and pointed to the spot where the cut has been. Paul drank from his coffee and just nodded slowly. 

“You frightened us almost to death,” Starman spoke up concerned, “You could have ended up being dead. Why didn’t you wear a helmet?”

Scott admitted, “Yes, I know. This was stupid of me.”

“Yes, it was,” Jenny exclaimed, worried, “You guys always think that nothing can happen to you because you are so damn well safe in the saddle. It happens so fast. Do you remember when Richard had this accident in ’97? He ended up in the hospital, but he didn’t learn from the incident, did he?”

Scott remembered. Yes, Richard once had a riding accident, too, because of a bad fall and had some broken rips and a concussion. Jenny wanted him to wear a helmet afterwards, whenever he was on horseback, but shortly afterwards the ranger went back to mount his horses without any safety gear. 

“Yes, mom,” Scott replied, “You are right. I should have worn a helmet. Horses are unpredictable. I love them, but they are flight animals. When you are riding, you may never forget that.”

Paul was glad that his son had learned from his fall yesterday. “Yesterday I received phone calls from a lot of people,” he informed him, “First Linda called, then Richard, then George, then General Ryder. They all were very worried and wish you a get well soon.”

“Well, thank you, I’m already all well,” Scott replied in a happy mood, “Thanks to you, dad.”

Paul smiled, but wasn’t yet finished, “General Ryder wants to talk to you. He said he flies in Sunday.”

“What does he want to speak with me about?”

“About your return and probably because of the accident,” his father answered and turned to face his granddaughter, “And he wants to talk to you too.”

Stephy eyed him curious. “Who is he?”

“He decides first hand what your grandfather is allowed to do and what not,” Jenny explained.

Stephy nodded and understood, and let even the remark go about how Jenny addressed Paul by using “grandfather”. In her eyes, since yesterday Paul wasn’t really her grandfather. Her real grandfather was dead. Now Scott became aware that the girl had been informed about his father’s origin. 

“You told her?”

“Yes,” his mother answered, “She witnessed how your father healed you. We explained everything to her.”

“I see,” is all that Scott said, while he watched the girl’s attitude with interest. They continued eating, and he got up to pour himself some coffee. Then Stephy looked at the kitchen clock and found out she’d be late to catch the bus to school. 

“I have to go,” she said and stood up from her place and grabbed the lunch package, which stood prepared for her at the kitchen counter. 

Paul brought her to the door and Jenny stopped her when she passed her. Like always, she kissed her on the cheek, and Stephy kissed her back. 

“Have a nice day in school,” Jenny wished her, “And don’t worry anymore if Paul is or isn’t your grandfather, Stephy. It’s not important where he comes from. He really loves you. We all love you.”

“Bye,” Scott greeted her from behind, and the girl only turned to him and waved her hand. 

“Do you have all the things you’ll need?” Paul asked and made sure that she had a jacket on. Like always, he helped her putting the backpack with her school books on her back. Like most of the time, she nodded and said nothing.

“Bye Stephy, have a nice day in school,” he greeted her likewise and kissed her on her cheeks and Stephy eyed him for a long time. 

“Good bye…,” she long thought how to address him. First she thought of naming him grandfather, then she changed her mind and used his first name instead, “Paul…” She left the house and Paul watched her going towards the bus station, until she was out of sight. 

When he came back in the kitchen, Jenny and her son spoke about Stephany’s reaction yesterday when she had to learn about what Paul really was. 

“And how did she take it?” Scott wanted to know. He looked worried about this issue. 

“I think she’s more disappointed that she doesn’t really have family here than finding out the truth about me.” Paul sighed heavily and sat down again and continued eating.

“Why don’t you make yourself some breakfast,” Jenny proposed to her son. She thought he must have been very hungry since he hadn’t anything eaten since yesterday, but he only drank some coffee.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I don’t want you to get sick. You don’t need to starve yourself!” she exclaimed and wanted to talk sense into him, “When I was so ill some years ago, it started in the same matter. I know you face a lot of problems at the moment, but I don’t want you to end up where I was.”

Scott rolled his eyes and sighed, but his mother ignored his silent protest. Paul just watched and was curious who would win. She got up and brought him a fresh bowl and put milk and Stephany’s cereal in front of him. Then he reluctantly started to help himself and took only a few spoons full, this sweet stuff wasn’t to his taste at all. He did it only to calm down his mother. In this early hour of the day, he didn’t want to start an argument.

“What are your plans for today?” Paul then asked, finished with his meal.

“I think I’m applying for the job in the bookstore.”

Paul raised an eyebrow. “You do?” That he now considered accepting the job in the store had surprised him.

“I thought you want to accept Richard’s offer and rather want to work with horses,” Jenny replied, likewise a little surprised. 

“I said I haven’t decided yet,” Scott told her and after a while he added. “Having a bad fall during my first ride wasn’t encouraging at all. Maybe the years away from working with horses have changed me.” 

“No, I don’t think so,” Jenny told him with a soft voice, “I fell off my horse several times since I have her. It ended of course not so serious as the one you had yesterday. The advice I can give you is to decide with your heart. It will tell you what is right for you.”

A while later, Jenny and Scott both left the house. Jenny drove to work; Scott wanted to apply for the vacant place in the bookstore. After Paul had cleaned up, there wasn’t a lot to do for him. His mind was occupied with Stephany. He felt he had betrayed the kid somehow, and he felt miserable. Then he thought about the real Paul Forrester, his so called twin brother. The kid would prefer him to care of her, although she didn’t know anything about him. The situation was a little like the situation with Eric 24 years ago. He too idealized a man, and rather wanted to be with the stranger than his family who loved him very much. What would the real Forrester do in his shoes? Since Eric stood in front of his door, he hadn’t seen the ghost anymore. The ghost of Forrester still visited him now and then, more often after his near death experience, and at his first days living here in this house, but it became lesser and lesser in the following years. Actually, so the alien thought, since he was a spirit now he must have known that he had a son and even a granddaughter, but somehow he felt that the encounter with Eric had caused his total disappearance. Perhaps he hadn’t had a clue about his child and grandchild. Somehow he missed the ghost. But perhaps the ghost, who was the alien’s guardian angel after he had nearly died, was now needed somewhere else - Perhaps even guarding his only son, Eric. He hoped so. Paul wanted to see him and knew what he wanted to do now. Liz had brought him a copy of a treasured private DVD, after they met each other and she had learned that Paul Forrester, the alien, was still alive. The DVD was produced from a conversion from a very old private video tape. It was Liz 34th birthday party from 1984. The real Paul Forrester was still alive then and was on the DVD as well. Up to that time, the photographer and Liz had been a couple. He put the DVD in his laptop and started it. 

It was amazing. The video showed the party with at least 20 guests in an apartment. To whom it belonged, Paul didn’t know. Now and then, the real Paul Forrester was in the picture and talked. It was odd seeing him. He was so young at the time, so attractive and funny, but also so different than the alien was, so self-centered, maybe even a little rude. The photographer talked a lot. A lot about women in general, about Liz and his opinion about how to handle her, and women in general. Liz was mostly in the picture, it was after all her birthday. She laughed a lot, and she appeared to be a little drunk. In her eyes and attitude, Paul could see that she really loved her boyfriend at this time. 

Just when the real Paul Forrester talked a little again, the door bell rang. Paul stopped the DVD and went to open it. He was surprised to see Christina in front of his door and welcomed her in. Ben was busy cleaning out the garage for tomorrow, and she wanted to come over to see how Scott was doing and how things have developed with Stephany. When she heard that both weren’t at home, she was a little surprised.

“I told you he will be alright, didn’t I?” He led her into the living room. “Stephany is in school.”

“How did she take it?”

Paul shrugged and searched for the right answer, “She’s not afraid, but disappointed.” 

Christina understood. “Everything was so tough on her. First her mother died, then her father disappeared. Although, I must say I’m somehow relieved that she knows about you now. Let’s face it. It was just a matter of time before she would have found out.” 

She saw that he had watched a video on his computer and became curious. “Have I interrupted anything?”

“No,” Paul replied politely, “The real Paul Forrester was on my mind, and I thought I’d watch this DVD Liz gave me once to see again how he was when he was still alive. I’d like to show it to Stephany when she comes back from school, so she can see her real grandfather.” 

Christina remembered the DVD. Unfortunately she never got the chance to see it. 

“Do you mind if I watch?”

“No, not at all.” 

Paul sat down in front of his computer and continued playing the DVD. Christina watched for a while in a standing position, after some moments she got herself a chair and placed it next to Paul’s. For her it was indeed strange to see the person Forrester once was. He looked of course younger than the alien was now, but even putting the passed years to the side, the man in the video was a totally different person. The voice was the same, the facial expressions and body movements, but what and how he talked was different and his behavior too. 

“It’s SO weird,” she exclaimed and chuckled, fascinated by the old video with sometimes cloudy pictures, “He is acting totally different than you. And how he talks. You’d never use those words.” Her mouth stood open. “Although he looks just like you! Just like you when you were his age.”

Paul chuckled because this video amused her so much. “And?” he asked, curious, “Could you tell us apart then?” 

She eyed him for a long time and was still working on understanding that the alien had taken just Forrester’s body, but definitely not his character. “I guess so. I only wonder how you could fool the others for such a long time.”

###    
**Chapter 9**  


Scott’s application at the bookstore in Solvang went fine. The shop owner was impressed with the young man. Although he had never worked as a sales person, he saw that he was literate and had a nice and quiet appearance, just the right character to handle the customers. He continued reading Scott’s resume, and when he read that Scott had worked as Richard Hayward’s stable hand for about 14 years he smiled, because he knew the rancher. It was indeed interesting that he applied for the job now. He continued reading. 

“And since the last three years you worked as department manager in this steel company in Pittsburgh. Quite different to the job you are now applying, not to mention the income.”

“Yes sir,” the younger man replied with respect in his voice, “I’m searching for something different now. I don’t want to do that kind of job anymore.” 

The shop owner smiled. He understood him well. 

“Well, Mr. Hayden,” he finally said, “I want to be honest. I have another candidate scheduled for Monday and want to see him before I make a decision.”

They had already agreed about the salary and about the duties, so everything was more or less said. “I understand, Mr. Pines. Just let me know about your decision.” 

“Certainly.”

They shook hands, and Mr. Pines lead his applicant to the door. 

After applying for the job, Scott went to see his mother in town. He told her how the talk went. Jenny could see that he was a little disappointed. He probably had expected a more encouraging end. 

“You can’t expect that he hires you right away, did you?” 

“I know, I know.” 

Scott was still disappointed, but actually why he couldn’t quite figure out. He watched her for a while unpacking some gift items and putting it in the shelf and felt out of place. Then he glanced at this watch. It was almost lunch time.

“Why don’t you stay, and we’ll go out for lunch during my break,” his mother proposed and put the box away. The work was done. 

“Na, I don’t know,” Scott answered reluctantly, “I rather want to drive home.”

“Why?”

“Richard’s supposed to come home this afternoon, and I want to see him.”

“You can still do that,” Jenny exclaimed, not fully understanding why he was so damn reluctant in every second decision he made lately, “It’s noon, and I’m hungry. Don’t tell me you aren’t?” 

Scott only shrugged, but didn’t want to disappoint her. So he came with her.

They went to a nice restaurant in town and ordered a meal. The meal was really good. Even Scott liked it, although he hadn’t much of an appetite. When they were finished, they enjoyed the rest of Jenny’s break in the restaurant’s outside tavern. 

“Have I told you how happy I am that you came back?”

“Yes, you did. Several times, mom.” 

He too felt that coming back after the divorce was just the right decision. After all, his family lived here, and he felt that his father and mother loved him very much, and he loved them too. Solvang was the town he lived in for the most years of his life, and it meant home to him.

“But you know,” he began, “I don’t know yet how long it’ll take until I’m over it. The divorce was tough, the toughest time in my life. I thought I can come back and continue where I left off, but it doesn’t work.”

“You mean because of the accident yesterday,” Jenny replied in a worried voice, “It has made you insecure.”

After thinking about it, Scott told her, “I don’t know, not only because of this alone. I always thought I have a way with horses. I fell off several times, too, while I worked at Richard’s ranch, but it never left such an impression like yesterday.”

Jenny understood now how he felt. The accident yesterday could have ended indeed deadly. She would have the same feelings like her son if this accident happened to her. 

“Why don’t you use the afternoon to climb in the saddle again?” she proposed and Scott eyed her with doubt. 

“You really think so?”

“You can use my horse, if you want. They say riders should climb in the saddle and ride after they fell off to lose their inner fear.”

Scott smiled at her, then chuckled. “With this 14 hands pony? I’ll make a fool of myself.”

“You underestimate my Arabian mare, son.” She sounded offended, but she also knew better. 

“And you won’t fall from a big height in case you do.” Because he didn’t answer, she asked, “And? Will you ride?”

“Maybe and maybe not,” he replied, somehow in a better mood then before, “I wanted to see Richard anyway. I’m curious what horses he bought.”

******

Stephany was in school and could hardly concentrate on what she was doing. During lunch break she went to one of the school’s internet places and typed in the name of her grandfather to see what the internet found out about him. She was surprised to see that Paul Forrester had written a book. Okay, it was in the 70’s when he had written it, but according to the year of publication, it meant that her real grandfather had written it. Then she wanted to read it. School was out, and Stephany decided to go to the library to check if they had this book available. They had, and she borrowed it. Because she would be late from school, she decided to give Paul a call and tell him not to worry.

“Paul?” she asked, aware not to call him grandfather again, when she had him on the line. “I’ll be late from school. Don’t worry.” 

He inquired why she would be late. 

“I thought all day about my father and my real grandfather and I wanted to find out more about him. So I went online and found out he wrote a book. I went to the library to see if they have it. They had, and I want to read it.”

The extraterrestrial knew right away which book she had in her hands. It was In the Eye of the Storm, a story from Forrester’s time in the war zone and how he experienced the Vietnam War, with a lot of very good pictures. The book even won a Pulitzer Prize. He had read it several times, but this was decades ago before the government had captured him.

“Stephy,” he proposed, “I thought all day long about you and the relationship we two have. Why don’t you come back home? You don’t need to read it in the library. I found a video about the real Paul Forrester. I thought you’ll enjoy it.”

Stephy had already decided to stay. She opened the book and found a picture of the author in the inside jacket of the book cover. While Paul still talked, she glanced a long time at the picture. The guy looked just like the man pretending to be her grandfather - only a lot younger. Nevertheless, even Stephy could see that the glance in their eyes were different. The eyes of the man who just talked to her were friendlier, more loving, but perhaps it was just her imagination.

“I want to stay. Please, let me,” she insisted, then Paul heard an “awr” on the phone, when she had discovered the picture. “He looks just like you, only younger. This is weird.” 

The alien heard what Stephany just said, and whether she was aware of it or not, she would draw attention to her from to the people sitting next to her in the library. He knew she had to stop. 

“Stephany, take the book and come home. I beg you.” 

The girl’s attitude changed suddenly. Her so called grandfather, who wasn’t her grandfather since yesterday’s confession, had no right anymore to order her when to come home. 

“Till later,” she only said and pressed the off-button of her phone.

“Stephany!” Paul shouted, angry and worried of her sudden hostile and unfriendly attitude. “Stephany!” But it was no use to call her name anymore. The line was dead.

Not knowing what else he should do, Paul called Ben and told him about the telephone conversation with Stephany. 

“Call me when she gets back,” Wylie ordered, “I’ll talk to her.”

“Don’t you think we should drive to the library and get her?”

Ben thought that would be an overaction. “No, leave her, if she wants,” he said, “but call me when she gets home.”

 

Meanwhile Scott came home from his business and changed into his riding clothes. He had thought about his mother’s proposal and decided to do just what she had said. Although Jenny had warned him not to underestimate the little mare, he didn’t want to end up being a chicken when it came to horseback riding. He came downstairs and found his father in the living room, looking out of the window, waiting for somebody. 

“Are you waiting for Steph?”

Paul eyed him with interest. His son looked like an elegant English rider, wearing tan riding pants with leather trim, black leather riding boots and a white polo shirt. He wasn’t used to this look on him. Judging his look, Scott knew what he thought.

“How do you like my outfit?”

Starman didn’t know what to say. “You look different. Very elegant. What do you have in mind?”

“Mom said I should go for a ride with her horse. Since she only has an English saddle, I thought why not wearing my English outfit. I haven’t worn this in years!”

Paul smiled at him, remembering the last time at Antonia Weyburne’s farm when he saw him dressed like that. “You look like an Englishman.” 

Scott thanked him for the compliment and sat down on the couch. “And? You haven’t answered my question. Are you waiting for Stephany?”

Paul nodded. From his tense attitude Scott knew something was wrong and asked about it. His father told him what was bothering him. “Stephany just called. She is in the library and found out that Forrester had won a Pulitzer for his book In the Eye of the Storm and now she said she’ll come later because she wants to read the book.”

“You must give her time, dad,” Scott reassured him, “She wants to learn about him. Forrester is after all her grandfather and the next link to her last parent – her father.” 

_Yes, you are right,_ Paul thought and sighed heavily. He tried to follow his son’s advice, but somehow a certain worry nagged on his mind. He wanted to ask his son about the outcome of the interview for the job. 

“And did you get the job?”

“No, not yet, he said he has another candidate.” 

“Well don’t worry, you’ll find a good job,” Paul replied and went again to the window to see if he could detect the girl somewhere. 

There wasn’t any sign of her, and he looked at his son again, who had taken his own framed wedding picture in his hands, which stood on the bureau next to some other framed pictures. It hurt him to see how happy he was with his wife in the beginning, and how their relationship had to end. Scott flipped the picture over and came back sitting at the couch. After a while he glanced at his father and said, “I messed up so much in my life. I’m 38 years old, now, I don’t have a wife anymore, no children, and not even a job. Sometimes I wish I’d be twelve again and start all over.”

Paul didn’t like the way Scott was making himself down. “Why are you saying this?” 

“Because it’s the truth.”

“The truth is, that we, me and your mother, love you very much, and it doesn’t matter how old you are. I don’t want you to talk this way. You are a very bright, caring, sensitive young man who holds qualities of two different worlds. You do know that I am very proud of you, don’t you?”

Scott shrugged. “I don’t know. But I love you too. This is why I came back. I knew I always have a place here, and this is really great. It’s just that I want to go back to those days when everything was better. When we two got used to each other. It was a hard time then, wasn’t it? We were on the run and searched for mom, stuck together and grew together. When I think back, I must say it was the best time of my life, despite, of course, being hunted…. But anyway, it was a great time.”

“Yes it was,” Paul replied in thoughts and smiled, “I often think of those times too, but they are long time over. It’s no use to hold onto the past.” 

When he saw how sentimental his son appeared to be, he had a sudden thought, “Look Scott, I can’t make a time leap, but, if you want, we could camp out for a night like in the good old days. In Santa Ynes, at the lake, remember? It’s just the next town over. I don’t think that anybody would have anything against it when just the two of us camp out for just a day.”

His son remembered the weekend they spend there. It was basically the first time he had used the sphere. The sheriff had seen the blue lights he had created, and that had brought them a lot of trouble. But the more he thought about the idea, the more he liked it. He couldn’t hold back a smile. 

“Dad, somehow I like your idea.”

Paul was delighted how much he could lighten up his son’s mood. “Good, how about one of the next weekends? I’ll ask Ben if it’s okay.”

“Oh geez dad.” Scott had again forgotten that he had to ask for allowance for any step he made outside of this house, “How in the world can you stand this surveillance?”

“You get used to it.”

Scott sighed and looked at his watch. “Oh, it’s already so late. I got to go. Bye.”

“Be careful and don’t fall,” Paul shouted after him, when he left the room, “I have already a girl who keeps me worried all day long.”

******

Richard wasn’t yet here, and Linda nowhere in sight, so Scott went to the paddock and got his mother’s horse. In the boarders’ stables he met a woman, who groomed her horse. They had never met, so they introduced each other. Her name was Ellen, and she was a very nice, quiet, attractive lady. Scott was surprised to learn that she was already 42, but looked not a day older then thirty. She was married and had an 18 year old son. Ellen wanted to know why he had Farah with him, and if he was a new horse sharer, but he told her, “No, it’s my mother’s horse.”

“Oh,” is all what Ellen commented, “I see.” While he got the box with the grooming equipment out of the tack room, he asked, “Are you going for a ride?”

“No, I just came to groom Chanella”. 

Chanella was her horse, a gray warm blood. What Scott didn’t understand was why she just came to the ranch to groom her and didn’t use the time to go for a ride. Just grooming was kind of lost work in his eyes. When she put the horse back in the paddock, she would eventually roll her body in the sand again and be dirty the same way as before. Nevertheless, he said nothing and continued preparing the little horse for his ride. Farah eyed Scott with curiosity. She showed a lot of interest in what he was doing. When he brought her a treat, which he found in his mother’s locker, she snorted happily. Ellen put the horse back on the paddock when she was finished, just like she had said, and left, wishing him a good ride. When he was almost finished saddling up, Linda came into the stable together with the dog and was totally stunned to see him there. Sparky greeted Scott with a loud bark and wagging his tale. He bent down and greeted the dog.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be home in bed?”

Scott chuckled when he saw her surprised face. “No, I’m all well again, thanks to my father,” he whispered, although nobody else was in the stable to overhear the conversation. “Hasn’t he mentioned anything on the phone?”

“No, just that you are better and in bed.”

Linda still couldn’t believe he was as good as new. Nothing indicated that he was yesterday badly hurt. She came over and stood opposite him and looked at his head.

“Your father has healed you?”

He nodded. To Linda it didn’t make sense. “You mean by himself with his alien powers or with the marble?”

“The sphere can heal injuries too.” 

Linda stood there in awe and looked at him like hypnotized. Scott didn’t like that. “Stop doing this.” He understood now it would take a long time until she got used to this. Maybe telling her wasn’t the best idea, but now it was too late. Linda got herself out of her stare and recognized for the first time what he was actually doing here. 

“What are you doing with Farah?”

“I’m riding to the place where I fell off yesterday.” 

She wanted to go on a trail ride too and asked, “Do you want me to join you? I wanted to ride for an hour or so.”

“Sure, why not. Hurry up, I’m almost finished.”

Riding Farah was an unusual experience. She wasn’t very tall, but she had smooth, elegant gaits. Her steps were of course shorter than of those 16 hands horses Scott had ridden before. And she was easy to steer. Scott had to remind himself constantly to keep his legs more backwards, because riding in western style was different than riding English. So fancy as he may have looked, western saddles were more comfortable.

“They say when you fall off you should get back in the saddle as soon as possible,” she said while they rode side by side. 

“Yes true. I hate to admit it, but the fall yesterday scared me. It was quite dangerous. I’ve ridden Loredo for more then 10 years and barely had problems with him spooking over anything.”

Then they arrived at the place of the accident and Scott climbed down. “It was here where I bumped my head.” He showed her how the accident had happened. Next to the tree he found his baseball cap with the ranch’s logo on it. He had lost it when he fell off. Linda pocketed it, because he had no vest on. 

“Let’s go Scott,” Linda said, still sitting on her horse, “This is a chilly atmosphere here.”

It was very quiet in the forest. Nowhere could you hear birds sing. Scott climbed in the saddle again. Almost out of the forest again, Farah heard a noise coming from some bushes next to her, and she jumped to the side with all of her four feet. Her rider didn’t fall off, but he was oversensitive and was startled. Immediately he took the reins shorter. His hands went down to the horse’s neck. He could feel how alarmed the horse was. Scott sent out reassuring thoughts, and soon the horse relaxed under his touch.

“Don’t worry, she always does that,” Linda calmed him. “She jumps, but doesn’t bolt.” Now in open field, she suggested they ride a little faster.

“Okay,” Scott replied, “You take the lead.” 

They agreed that they wouldn’t race with each other; they wanted only a comfortable canter. Linda went first, and soon Scott’s horse changed the speed without any need to urge her on. Galloping felt like flying. Her horse, however, had longer feet, and had soon a lead over Farah. It was funny, because the moment the horse saw she was somehow left behind, a certain power source kicked in, and the mare galloped on, and Scott couldn’t almost hold her back anymore. Linda stopped her horse, nevertheless, and both riders were out of breath, just like the horses. 

“That was fun,” Scott said breathlessly, “Suddenly I felt like someone would turn a switch over inside the horse, and she ran like a racehorse….Mom was right, I have underrated her.”

Linda just chuckled. 

“And how was it?” she wanted to know when they came back to the stable. 

“Fine,” was all was Scott answered. 

The ride felt good. Somehow it returned a certain confidence to him, although the horse was all new for him. They unsaddled the horses and put them back in the paddock. Then they waited outside and rested. Still, there was no sight of the rancher.

While they sat next to each other and Scott enjoyed the sun, Linda eyed him and wanted to ask him questions, that had bothered her all day long.

“Scott?”

“Huh?”

“Can we talk a little about…..you know…..your father and everything. Somehow I don’t get this into my head.” 

Scott opened his eyes, turned to her and chuckled again, when he saw her troubled face.

“About what do you want to talk about? I’ve told you already the whole story.”

“Yes, you did,” she replied, obviously still unsatisfied with it, “but this is so weird.”

“You tell me! But you know what? One day you get used to it. It’s then absolutely natural that you are different. Different isn’t bad, is it?”

“No, it’s not,” she said, “You never said if there are more then your father out there. Are there more?”

Somehow he felt uncomfortable answering those questions. “I don’t know. Not that I know. Not from my father’s species anyway.”

Linda however had still so many unanswered questions. “How is it to be a half….alien?”

Scott eyed her doubtfully; he didn’t know how to take the question. “Alien” had in the way she pronounced the word an unfriendly meaning, even though she wasn’t aware of it. 

“I don’t think I feel different from you or anybody else,” he replied patently, “I’m human, a guy, but I have traits which are different to humans too - although this is not world-shaking either. I mean I can work the sphere, and I can pick up emotions of other peoples when I touch them. My energy level is also higher then of others, but otherwise I’m just an ordinary guy. Just like my father. You should talk to him if you are so curious. He’s the expert in those fields.”

Linda was fascinated. “Yes, that would be so neat. Your father is so terrific. When I look into his eyes, I have the feeling he can look right through me. Is this because he is…” she paused, “…you know…from somewhere else?”

“I guess so,” is all that he said, and he held eye contact, because Linda looked in Scott’s eyes if she could detect the same gentleness there. 

“Your eyes are much darker then his,” she commented and smiled, “but interesting anyway. I wonder why I haven’t noticed it before. You have gentle, friendly eyes.”

He couldn’t hold back a smile. Linda was so curious. Somehow that was cute. On the other side he didn’t like to be compared with his father, and he wasn’t in the mood having such intimate moments with Linda, who dumped him some years ago with just a blink of an eye. He broke eye contact and Linda understood why he suddenly withdrew. There was a long silence before she spoke up again. 

“You act like you are still mad at me for what I did then.” 

There was no response from him, just a skeptical stare, so Linda continued, “Hey, I’m sorry for that. Really I am. I hurt your feelings when I ran in Richards arms then. Since you are living here again, we will see each other now often, and I don’t want hostile feelings between us two for things what happened a long time ago.”

“Me neither.” 

There was still a skeptical scare, and Linda said, “I want you to know, that I’m not interested in flaming up old relationships with neither you nor Richard nor anybody. I had enough disappointments in the last years, and so I want to stay all by myself for now. I just wanted to let you know.”

“You don’t need to justify,” he calmly said, “I don’t want to refire our old relationship either. I’m not interested in women at the moment anyway. I just had a hurting divorce.”

A half hour later, finally, Richards truck with a horse trailer in tow, headed towards the ranch. When he climbed out of his car, Linda and Scott came to the approaching car. Richard greeted them, was however surprised to see Paul’s son here, since Linda had told him yesterday on the phone that he had a riding accident.

“Are you all well again?” he asked surprised, and Scott had to tell him in a short form about his accident and the things afterwards.

“Well, good to hear that, buddy.” 

The Rancher was glad that he was okay again and thanked Linda for staying today at the ranch and overtaking the stable work for today. 

Scott wanted to know what he had brought. 

“I brought two new mares. They’re bringing them over tomorrow separately. I have a surprise for you.”

Linda and Scott helped Richard open the trailer and brought out two horses. The horses were very nervous. They didn’t look like young Quarter horses, the usual brand Richard bred. They were two brown horses of another race, one with a more reddish coat. They looked frightened and learned only to walk next to somebody with a halter on.

“Aren’t these mustangs, Richard?” Linda was very excited. He hadn’t told her anything about wanting to buy wild ones. Meanwhile Scott was busy calming down the two horses, who were frightened of the new environment and pulled constantly on the lead rope.

“Yes, they are both mustangs. Let’s get them in the small paddock.” With Scott’s help Richard lead the horses to the place and unsnapped the lead ropes. The two horses began exploring their new paddock. Linda and Scott didn’t understand what Richard wanted to do with those two. Somehow they didn’t fit in the usual picture. 

“Why did you buy those for?” Scott then asked, while Richard watched his new horses with a certain infatuation in his eyes. 

“I bought them at a wild mustang auction. Got one for 250 bucks.”

This wasn’t enough explanation for Scott and he looked at Richard for more information. “What? Why?”

“I thought we can train them to be good trail horses. I know it can be done. I’ve seen people who bought wild mustangs at an auction, trained them for three months and after showing how much they have learned, they sell them again,” Richard explained, “Only I bought them for me to keep.”

“What do you mean with “we”? Scott asked, surprised to hear his new plan and not certain what Richard had in mind. 

“This is so great! Go for it!” Linda was full of enthusiasm. 

“One of these I bought for you,” Richard said to Scott and smiled when he saw his surprised face. “How about you take the red one and I’ll take the darker one. They are both geldings.”

It had not yet sunk in all the way, that Richard had just bought Scott a horse. He looked at the older man and was somehow speechless. He tried to say something, but the surprise was still too overwhelming. “Once it is all trained, you can do with him what you want.”

“Why did you buy me a horse?” Scott finally managed to say. Training those horses would require a lot of time, and he wasn’t sure if he had it. 

“We had been such a good team, buddy,” Richard replied, “I want to retain this. Don’t tell me you don’t like him.”

A lot of thoughts came up momentarily. This special gift showed him that Richard really cared about him and wanted him to come back working here. Only being his stable hand would allow him to have the time for training the horse properly. On the other side what if Mr. Pines would call him on Monday and tell him he could start the job in the bookstore? 

“Richard, it’s great, but I don’t know yet if I have enough time to train him. I might accept a sales job in town. I’ll know on Monday if it will work out.”

When he heard that, the rancher couldn’t hold back a certain disappointment. “I see. But then you still can train him. It might only take longer.”

That made sense. It was after all a new task for Scott and the more he watched the horse, the more he would like to teach this horse that he didn’t need to be afraid of people.

“Yes, true.”

“Is it settled then?” Richard asked, happy that he could talk him over, “We train these two and you can keep yours at the end.”

Scott smiled at him, likewise happy and excited of the new challenge. Linda eyed them, also excited, but perhaps a little jealous that she didn’t get a chance with those two horses. 

“Okay, then it is settled. I’ll take the red one. Thank you for the horse!” 

They shook hands and hugged. Richard beamed over his whole face. 

 

Meanwhile, Jenny came home from work and found Paul still waiting for Stephany. He told her why she had said she’d be late. 

“If she isn’t home in an hour, I’m going to get her.” Jenny saw how unhappy her Starman was. She went to him and hugged him. Her affection lightened his mood. 

“I missed you, Jen,” he said, then they kissed. Like always, his natural high energy level tingled at her lips, and his boundless love for her let her heart overflow with love for him.

“I missed you too, my darling.” She smiled at him. They still held each other. “You are all the time locked in here,” Jenny continued in a playful, but also unhappy voice, “I want us to have time for each other. Just the two of us at someplace else. We never had a honeymoon.”

“You know that they won’t let me go for such a long time,” Paul replied calmly.

 _Because you don’t make demands,_ she thought, _You are much too good for this world._ After living here for the last four years, she still couldn’t understand why he never demanded anything. It had gotten easier, since the Wylie’s had moved out, but they still controlled him like a prisoner. She would never understand that he wasn’t allowed to live a normal life like anybody else.

###    
**Chapter 10**  


It started to rain again in the later afternoon. It was unusually bad weather for South California when it rained every second day. Stephany spent the whole afternoon in the library and read Paul Forrester’s book. She wanted to find out about him as much as she could. The Vietnam War and his memories of this time touched her. He was indeed a good photographer. The pictures in this book were outstanding. She thought about returning home with the next bus, but somehow she wanted to do something else. It was a long time since she has seen her other grandparents in Santa Barbara - almost half a year ago, when her mother had died. They were the closest part of family she had now. Paul didn’t count since yesterday as family. She still didn’t know what to think of him. Everything confused her about him. Perhaps he loved her like he had said, but actually why, she couldn’t quite understand. He was, strictly speaking, just a copy of Paul Forrester. Nothing connected them. Did she judge him wrong? Inside of her were so many unanswered questions and feelings she didn’t understand. She doubted that Paul or Jenny would do her the favor and drive her to visit Tom and her grandma Joanna, so she decided to go all alone. To avoid that they would contact her and ask where she was, she turned off her phone. Stephany put the book in her backpack and went to the bus station and bought with unused lunch money a ticket to Santa Barbara. When the bus came she boarded the vehicle.

It was now almost 5:30 PM, and Paul reached the end of his patience. He decided to give Stephany another call, because he couldn’t stand the nagging feeling any longer that something was not in proper order with her. When he only could reach the mailbox, a very bad feeling came up inside him. After leaving a message, that she should call back, he went to Jenny and told her about it. She too was alarmed.

“I’m going to get her now,” she said and stopped immediately the preparations for dinner. “It seems we two need to have another talk.” She sounded a little bit angry about the girl’s attitude, despite being worried too. Jenny left with the car, and Paul continued making dinner, his thoughts always on Stephany, and what was wrong with her.

A half hour later the telephone rang, and Paul went to get it. On the phone was Jenny, totally excited and desperate.

“She isn’t here! I’ve been to the school and talked to her teachers! Nobody had seen her!”

“Where are you at the moment?” Forrester’s heart pounded. His feeling hadn’t betrayed him. There was something very odd. Something had happened. Stephany was normally very reliable.

Jenny didn’t answer his question. “I’m driving back to the library. Maybe somebody there had seen where she went. I’ll talk to the employees. I must hurry. They are closing soon.”

“Okay. Call me right away when you know anything.”

The conversation ended and Paul hung up the phone, forcing himself to stay calm. There was nothing he could do now. Actually he wanted to go out himself and look for the girl and help his wife finding her, but he had to stay here.

Ten minutes later, Jenny called again. “Somebody had seen her boarding a bus. It was a regular bus, not a school bus.” The employees of the library hadn’t seen where the girl went, but Jenny asked waiting passengers at the bus station and was lucky. One of the older people waiting there, remembered seeing the girl.

“To where?” That didn’t make any sense. 

“They don’t know!” Jenny yelled at him, barely able to control herself and regretted her hostile voice a moment later. “Probably out of town. Paul, what are we going to do now?”

He didn’t know, but they needed to remain calm. When he would lose his nerves like Jenny just did on the phone, it wasn’t any help. 

“Come home and calm down,” he ordered his wife, “I’ll call Ben.” 

It angered Jenny that her Starman had no other idea then to call the Wylie’s. It seemed they always were entangled in any business her husband had. 

Paul informed Ben about the latest events, and he came over to discuss the problem. Just when he arrived, Jenny came home too. She told Ben about what she had found out. Wylie didn’t hesitate. There was only one way. They needed to inform the police about a missing child. 

Together they drove to the next police station, and the officer on duty wrote the report. They told him that Stephany was missing, and that Jenny had found out she had boarded a bus. 

“And you are the legal guardian?” 

Paul wasn’t, but he told the officer that his son, Eric, left his daughter with him to care for her until he returned. The police officer asked him about further data, a photo of her, and what Stephany wore when she went to school this morning. The Starman gave him the information, and he wrote everything in his report.

“Did you have a fight over something? I mean can there be a reason why the girl didn’t want to come home?”

There was a long silence. Then Forrester cleared his throat. “Yes, she was disturbed about something, but we hadn’t really an argument either. Nothing indicated that she didn’t want to come home.”

The officer just nodded, but didn’t want to hear any details. “Do you have any idea where she wanted to go?”

“We talked about it, but we aren’t sure. She might have wanted to see her other grandparents. They live in Santa Barbara. They are the rest of the family she has left.” 

This was the only explanation Paul had. Where else would Stephany want to go? He had thought about the possibility that she simply ran away, because she had decided for herself that she didn’t want to live with the Forrester’s any longer. But somehow this didn’t fit in the picture. Running away wasn’t at all the way she handled things.

However, the officer typed this information also in the report.

“Okay, this is all I can do for you at the moment,” he informed the three people, “Every police station in South California has the report now in their computer. When the girl shows up somewhere we will call you immediately.”

They thanked him for his help and drove home.

Stephany’s bus went to Santa Barbara, but she overslept and her bus headed towards the greater Los Angeles area. With another bus she wanted to head back to Santa Barbara, but meanwhile, she had lost track where she actually was. Unfortunately, she didn’t ask passengers for help either. Around 8 PM she climbed out of the bus in Long Beach, now totally lost. Stephany didn’t know anymore what to do. She was afraid to switch on her telephone again, fearing of the scolding she would receive when she would call Paul or Jenny to just pick her up. She couldn’t even tell them where she was at the moment. It was just an unknown big city. Ten minutes later another bus came by and Stephany boarded it, using her last coins to pay for the travel. The bus brought her off from Long Beach, towards the South coast.

Around one and a half hours later, the bus stopped in Huntington Beach, Orange County, far away from the place she originally headed. It was already dark. Stephany was one of the last passengers, and now all lost. She was hungry, despaired and insecure. She left the bus and saw the beach. There was also a sign on the beach where she read where she was. Now she remembered the town. It was a famous surfer town way in the South. Stephany leaned on the wooden rail and watched the sea. She felt a tear falling from the corner of her eye. Yes, she was in big trouble. Stephany knew it. But just giving Paul a call to pick her up was out of the question either. At the moment she was still too proud to just do that. So she waited. 

 

The joy about Richard’s present was gone the moment he received a phone call from his mother, asking if Stephany showed up at the farm. She informed him about the latest events, and that she was missing. He came home right away. Everybody was there and just waited anxiously and looked totally despaired. The Wylie’s were here with their kids. Since he had talked to his mother, there wasn’t any news.

“Do you want me to drive over to the Kendall’s and wait in case she shows up?”

“No,” his father replied, “You better stay here. They had been informed by the police. Joanna will call us immediately when she shows up.” 

It was already late in the evening, and they all had waited in case to hear either from Stephany or from the police. Discussions about where the girl might be were held and even the possibility that she was even kidnapped. But the fact that she boarded a bus refuted the idea. The only explanation was that the girl ran away or wanted to go to someplace all by herself. 

“I hate to say it,” Christina said after talking about the problems for hours, “But I must bring the kids to bed.” The idea of the flea market was forgotten anyway. She excused herself and Paul brought her to the door.

“Call me immediately you hear anything.” 

He promised, and when Christina saw his troubled face, she wanted to cheer him up. 

“Everything will be all right, Paul.” 

There wasn’t much he could say. He appreciated her concern anyway.

“I hope.” 

Christina and the kids left, and after an hour Ben went too. He wanted to use the time of waiting to unload the car. Everything was already packed when Forrester had called him about Stephany.

“Why in the world did she run away?” Scott still couldn’t believe what the girl had done. His parents were worried sick. 

“It was my fault,” Paul confessed. “It had scared her that I’m not the one I pretend to be.”

“I just don’t understand why this is so important for her.” Jenny still searched for an explanation of the girl’s motives. “We loved her. You had been the best grandfather a girl could have.”

“She probably thinks that the real Paul Forrester is better suited.” Paul was at the end to find any explanations or reasons for Stephany’s motives. He remained calm, but he also was very worried. The girl was now all alone out there, and she was only eleven. And there were so many questions bothering him. Why hadn’t she reached the Kendall’s in the meantime? If she originally never wanted to see them, then their chances were bad that she was found soon. On the other hand, an eleven year old girl all by herself somewhere would attract attention. Only, of course, if she wanted to be found. Could the girl hide herself somewhere? How long could she be on her own? Did she have enough money with her?

Around midnight, Scott and Jenny went to bed. They were sure they couldn’t sleep, but they wanted to try. Paul couldn’t anyway. He wanted to stay up in case somebody called, either Stephany or the police or anybody who could tell him where his girl was. 

“If she only knew how worried we are.” Jenny sighed with frustration. She looked at her Starman. He was an alien being, but the worries over the girl were the same like anybody else’s. Maybe he was even more worried.

Paul went to her. He had thought about the few times he and Scott have gotten separated when they had been on the run. He was then also eager to find the boy again, but this incident with Stephany he couldn’t compare. Maybe the years living as a human being had made him more careful and worried like he was in the beginning when he learned to be a father.

“Try to catch some sleep.” He kissed Jenny on the forehead and hoped the next day would make everything well again. While his wife was in the bedroom, hoping to find a little slumber, Paul waited patently in the living room, calling Stephany’s cell phone several times - unfortunately, with no success. 

 

Stephany strolled over the pier in the rain when it was all dark and hid herself in one of the enclosed gardens. In one of the next streets were nice looking family homes. When she saw cars approaching, she hid behind a bush. Obviously the owners of the house she hid in front of weren’t home, so she didn’t draw any attention. A police cruiser drove by. Nobody saw the girl hidden behind the bush. She thought what to do next. The water bottle she had with her was almost empty, and she was so hungry, and it was so chilly in the rain. At the moment she couldn’t do much. She lay down on the porch of the house and used her backpack as a pillow. At least she was protected from the rain. 

Stephany thought she had slept for about an hour or two. Or she only wished she did. It was cold, and the chilly feeling prevented any further attempts to rest. So she sat up again and thought what she should do now. She began thinking of switching on the cell phone again. When she did, she saw that she had 23 unanswered calls. Some of the numbers she didn’t recognize, but Paul had called her most. Inside her grew the feeling that she had made a big mistake. First she only wanted to see her other grandparents, but the problem with oversleeping and unknown bus routes brought her more trouble then she wanted to cause. She was only a child and didn’t know anymore what she should do. Her only wish was to go home and warm up. There would surly be a lot of trouble waiting for her, and scolding and grounding probably too. Maybe even not. She didn’t know, because she was never in a situation like this before. Paul never scolded her, at least she couldn’t remember, and she never was grounded for anything either. The first time Stephany thought about the worry she had caused to people who said they loved her. Did she love them too? She was a little uncertain about it. Probably. Then she remembered again that Paul wasn’t her grandfather. Why did he say he loved her when she wasn’t his grandchild? 

There were so many uncertain feelings. Her answers might be only a phone call away. Stephany swallowed a big lump and fear and then dialed Paul’s cell phone. He was the only one she dared to call in her despair in the middle of the night. 

It was around 3 AM in the morning and Paul had fallen in a light slumber on the couch, when he heard his cell phone ringing with a quiet vibration call, which he had in his hand. On the spot he was fully awake, and he became excited when he saw that the caller was Stephany herself. 

“Stephany, is that you?” is all he could manage to say. He waited a moment and an indescribable relieve overcame him when he heard the girl answer.

“Yes, it’s me.”

Paul took a deep breath. “Where are you? I’ll pick you up when you tell me where you are.”

The girl began sobbing quietly the moment she heard him on the phone. “I wanted to see grandpa Tom and grandma Joanna, but first I overslept and then I took the wrong bus and ended up where I never was before.” 

It took a lot of strength for Paul to remain calm, but he managed. He wanted to receive information from the girl. If she only would tell him where she was. “I spent hours in buses. Now I don’t know anymore what I should do.”

“We will talk about all this later. First tell me where you are.” He heard Stephany sobbing anew and felt her regret over her action in her voice. 

“I’m so sorry I did this. This was stupid.”

“Yes honey, I know,” he replied with a soft, encouraging voice. “First you need to tell me where you are at the moment.” 

“I slept on a porch of a house where nobody is home at the moment, but it is so cold and I’m so hungry, and I don’t have money anymore. The house is in Huntington Beach. Do you know where this is?” Her voice was beyond a whisper and frightened. Paul thought frantically where this town was. He never was there, but suddenly he remembered it must be in the South, in Orange County, close to the amusement park “Disney World”. Stephany had told him once about Disney World, and that she wanted to go there. How in the world did she end up on the other side of this big city all by herself, using only buses? Paul knew he would not have problems finding her when he used the Navigator in Scott’s car and his own star-born abilities to navigate.

“I think I know where this is. Do you see a street sign anywhere?” Stephany got up from the porch and went down on the street and looked for street signs. When she found one, she named him the street and the number of the house. 

“Okay, I got everything. Stay there and wait. It’ll take some time to get there.”

Paul’s heart pounded. He went to his bedroom and found Jenny asleep. He tried to rouse her, but it seemed she just had slipped in a deep sleep, and he didn’t want to wake her up with violence. From upstairs he heard nothing, so he assumed Scott wasn’t awake anymore either. 

He hadn’t have time to wake up the whole family or give the Wylie’s a call. He knew if he would inform them, it would lead to an unnecessary delay. The Starman grabbed his jacket and left a note on the kitchen table. He knew he would be in trouble when they found him missing, but this was an emergency, and he didn’t have time for long explanations. Taking Scott’s car keys from the bureau next to the house door, he got out in the cold, rainy night and started the car. Programming the Navigator didn’t take long for him. Soon the machine told him where to start. Paul was heading out of Solvang, when he found out that he forgot his cell phone at home. He wanted to give Ben a call that he was out to get the girl when he discovered that he didn’t take it with him. This meant that nobody could contact him, and he was sure they wanted to know where he was when they found him missing. Driving back was out of the question. He only wanted to head towards the freeway 101 and take the 405 down to Huntington Beach to pick up his lost granddaughter.

###    
**Chapter 11**  


For Paul it was an unfamiliar feeling to drive all alone over the freeway. He felt guilty that he was not able to tell anyone where he went, except for the note on the kitchen table, and guilty because he had broken the agreement by going all by himself to a place which was a three hours drive from Solvang. To top everything he forgot his cell phone too. Nobody could contact him, except maybe for his son through the sphere. Paul knew he was in trouble, but he also knew he had to get Stephany. She was all alone in an unfamiliar town, it was cold and it still rained. There was simply no time to arrange things. She needed him now, and he knew she waited.

Jenny woke up around five in the morning. She got up and searched for her husband. Assuming he was still in the living room, she went there. It was odd when she couldn’t detect him there. Jenny glanced in the garden, but it was still raining and Paul wasn’t there either. Then she went in the kitchen and found the note. She felt adrenalin rushing through her body when she read it: _Stephany called. I took Scott’s car and went to get her. Will be back some time today. Love, Paul._

Jenny felt her heart pounding. She read the note again. Yes, she wasn’t mistaken. The note said he went out to get the girl all by himself. Unfortunately the note didn’t mention where he had to get her. Nevertheless, it meant trouble, but it also meant that the girl called from somewhere. At least this was a big relief. Then she noted her husband’s cell phone next to the note. He must have forgotten it. _Damn! I can’t even call him and ask where he is. What am I going to do now?_ Her next thought was getting her son.

“Scott!” she yelled of the top of her lungs, “Scott! Wake up!” She took the note and rushed upstairs. Her son was already up, alarmed by her urgent call when she met him in his bedroom. He too had fallen asleep in the early morning hours, having not noticed that his father had driven away.

“What is it? Have they found Stephany?” Scott looked a bit sleepy and had trouble getting awake. 

“Read this!” Jenny gave him the note and waited for his reaction. When he had read the note, his head snapped up in alarm.

“Uh, uh, dad’s in trouble. What are we gonna do now?” 

Jenny was likewise excited and had no idea what to do. “He has also forgotten his cell phone on the kitchen counter.” 

This was double trouble. Scott began pacing through the room, thinking hard what to do next. Nobody knew where his father was, where he went to pick up the girl, and nobody knew when he would be back. The Wylie’s, the General and the rest of the people who watched his father with eagle eyes would surly not be amused about this heroic action. They would think he ran away.

“Can you contact him through the sphere?” Jenny was sure he had it with him. This object he carried always with him and not once had she found it misplaced somewhere. 

“Yes,” Scott replied, the thought came in his mind also. “But his sphere will light up. It could draw attention when he holds it while others can see it.”

“We have to. Please try.”

Somehow Scott was not pleased doing what his mother wanted. She had no idea how focused his father needed to be to send a message through the sphere. In case he was still driving, he could get distracted while his mind should be instead on the traffic and steering the car . On the other hand, they needed to know where he was. 

“Okay, I’ll try.”

Paul had just changed the freeways and it was still raining. The news on the radio warned of flooded streets, and the rain filled the L.A. River. Normally the river, originally coming from the mountains and ending in Long Beach, was an almost empty basin with concrete walls at the sides. The unusual rain in the last days had turned it into a wild river. Driving through the city on the freeway, Paul suddenly felt again a call from his sphere in his pants pocket. When he dug it out with his right hand, the sphere was fully lit. Somehow he had expected Scott’s call through the sphere, because he hadn’t anything else with him with which to be contacted. It was a little hard for Paul to concentrate on the delivered information, while he tried to hide the light in the cockpit as much as it was possible, and to concentrate at the same time on driving. Somehow he managed. Paul smiled when he could easily understand what his son transmitted. He really had figured out and learned a lot about the sphere since the two got them back.

“Dad, where are you? We are so worried. When will you be back? What should we tell Ben?” The questions came through the sphere like a whirlwind. 

The Starman could feel Scott’s despair and excitement about his decision to drive to the girl himself. He concentrated on the sphere and sent back: “I’m at the moment in downtown. Don’t know when I will be back. Stephany called from Huntington Beach. It’ll take some couple of hours before we’ll be back. Tell Ben not to worry. Let us talk later. Must stop now. The sphere draws attention and I need to concentrate on driving.”

Scott received the message clearly, like he had spoken with his father on the phone. It was like they had assumed, his father was still on the way, and he had to concentrate on the traffic, and so he let the sphere fade out. He told his mother what his father had told him.

“When Ben finds out that he is gone, they gonna freak out,” Jenny assumed with fear in her voice, “I hope your father knows what consequences his little trip to the outside world might mean for him.” 

Having started the drive around three in the morning, Paul drove around six o’clock in the morning in the street Stephany had given to him. He was exhausted, not being used to driving for three hours in one go without interruption, having not slept, and having eaten nothing since Stephany’s disappearance, added to his tired condition. However, the prospect of getting the girl back healthy and unharmed washed away everything else. It was still dark, and when the Navigator voice said he had reached his goal, the headlights of the approaching car drew attention to the girl, who waited patiently on the porch. Stephany raced to the car. Paul stopped when he saw her coming. He stepped out of the car, and the girl flew in his arms. Relieved that nothing had happened to her, he lifted her up and held her close. She too hugged him for dear life.

“I’m so sorry, grandfather,” she cried and began sobbing again. Stephany became aware of her mistake and corrected, “Paul!”

The alien felt her feelings and her exhaustion too when he held her. She was so cold and her clothes were all wet.

“Everything will be all right, honey. I’m so glad that I have you back.” 

Stephany felt so terribly tired, and she was so sorry that she did something so stupid. Again, she hugged him as tight as she was able to. Then she started crying again. 

“Stop crying, Stephany. Please.” Paul tried to comfort her.

Her despair overwhelmed her, but him also. She needed a few moments and Paul set her down. While Stephany still sobbed heavily and hugged him, he stroked her back to ease her discomfort. After a little while she had collected herself again and looked up to meet his glance.

“Are you ready now to come back home with me?”

She nodded her head, her eyes were red from crying. Feeling ashamed that she caused so much trouble, she went back to the porch and got her backpack, went then to the passenger side of the car and got in. Paul climbed in the driver seat. He only wanted to head straight back home, although he knew that they rather should eat something first and give the Wylie’s a call. The girl was hungry, he was too, but he also knew that he had already enough pecks of trouble. He decided to call them on the way home using the girls’ telephone.

While Paul was united with Stephany, Ben headed to Paul and Jenny’s house in Solvang. They had discussed what to do, and Jenny and Scott had decided to inform him. When he came, he realized it was the first time that the alien wasn’t there. Ben couldn’t believe it. He was excited and worried. Paul’s wife and his son remained calm. Scott didn’t know what to tell him, so he handed him the note. The former agent read it and had to sit when he understood. 

“No, please Paul why are you doing this to me?” he asked, more to himself then to the others. Forrester was in trouble. He must have known that getting the girl all by himself was out of the question. 

Jenny couldn’t think straight anymore. “What will happen now, Ben?”

Scott told him about the messages he got by using his sphere. 

“And he went out all by himself to get her?” Ben’s head was spinning, when Scott confirmed it. Wylie knew that he couldn’t sweep Paul’s little trip to nowhere under the rug. Forrester clearly broke the agreement when he took the car and went alone to Huntington Beach, a town in Orange Country, a three hour drive away. What if he used the trip to run away? It didn’t make sense, but this is what the General might think when he heard the news. Fact was that Paul Forrester, the alien, the guy he had to guide and take care of, was missing and nobody knew for sure where he was at the moment.

“You know what I have to do now.” Ben glanced first to Jenny, then to Scott. “I have to call the authorities.”

Jenny knew that he would react like he did. “Please don’t. I beg you. He’ll be back as soon as possible. Paul doesn’t lie to me. Just a couple of more hours. Give him the time. Please.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Ben replied sadly, when he heard how despaired she was and saw Scott’s accusing look. “Paul knew that he wasn’t allowed to go out all by himself without advanced notice. We are not talking here that he went shopping to the grocery store in the neighborhood. Boy, I don’t know where he is and when he’ll be back. He’s now, strictly speaking, a fugitive.”

“Ben, now you are exaggerating.” Scott was furious that Wylie, who was also his father’s best friend, wanted to turn his father’s measure into a drama. “You would have done the same thing if Stephany was your granddaughter.”

“Yes, I would understand, but it’s not about me. I’m sorry, Scott. I have to do what I have to do.” Then he stood up and informed everybody about what had happened. 

 

They were now on the way home. Paul turned the heating in the car to full power. There was no blanket in the car, which the girl could use to warm up. 

“Can we talk about your little adventure?” 

Stephy glanced at Paul and had waited for this question. “I read the book in the library, and I got more and more confused because of you and him. Then I wanted to see my other grandparents, the only family I have left.” 

“But Stephany,” Forrester replied in a soft voice, “You can’t just board buses when you don’t know where they head to. Why did you turn off the phone, and why haven’t you asked when you wanted to see them?”

The girl regretted everything she had done. Paul hadn’t scolded her, he hadn’t shouted at her, he was only worried and didn’t understand her motives. 

“I don’t know why I turned off the phone. Probably then you couldn’t call me every five minutes and ask when I’ll be home. And I wanted to see them right away. That’s why I didn’t want to ask you or grandma.” 

Forrester sighed heavily. If she only knew what worries she had caused and the trouble he was in because of that. 

“We have been worried sick about you.”

“I can imagine, and I’m sorry. Punish me if you want. I’ve earned it.”

If any kind of punishment would make her understand what a big mistake she had made, the extraterrestrial would apply it, but he knew that she regretted her action now. Grounding her would be a waste of time, and in his eyes these measures only showed that parents had failed in upbringing the child. 

“No, I’m not going to punish you,” he said after thinking about it, “I’m in trouble myself.”

“Why?”

“Because I got you without asking permission first, and they don’t like it when they don’t know where I am.”

For Stephany, that didn’t make sense. 

“They control you like a prisoner only because you are an alien?” 

Paul glanced at her and answered truthfully, “Yes, only because of that. We should give them a call now. Can you do that?”

The general wanted to come tomorrow, but the events tuned truly into a drama. He ordered Ben to inform the LA police to track down the car and stop it. Wylie was sorry that he had to take those measures, but he knew that Paul hopefully also knew what a mistake he had made. 

Christina came over to the house, leaving the kids in the hands of a befriended neighbor. When she heard what had happened, she almost couldn’t believe it. Her head was spinning. What would happen now when they caught the alien? She wasn’t sure if Paul would surrender according to the idea of General Ryder. Everybody talked like Forrester was on the run. But was he really? One part of her understood the general’s motives, the other part didn’t and was very concerned. 

While Ben was on the phone with the chief of the Los Angeles police, informing them about the car and the license plate, and what they should do when they had tracked down the car, the telephone rang. Christina tried her best to calm down Jenny, who was near a nervous breakdown. 

Scott picked up the receiver and yelled in the phone. “Hello?!” 

The voice he heard was the one of a child, and he knew immediately who spoke. “Hi, this is Stephany.” 

Scott held the receiver to his chest and shouted through the living room, while Ben was still on the other phone, and the two women sat on the couch. “It’s Stephany. Be quiet please.” 

There was a moment of silence and Scott used it to pass the information.

“Stephany, please let me speak to my father. It’s urgent.” He heard that she did what he had asked her. Soon, there was a bright and joyful “Hello” from his father. Both knew it was forbidden to use cell phones while driving, but due to the events it was necessary.

“Dad, it’s me. Listen to me. They are tracking down the car.”

Paul couldn’t believe what he just had heard. “What? Why? I’m on the way back. I’ll be there in about an hour.” 

Ben overheard that it was Paul on the other phone. “Yes, a light blue 2010 Ford Escape.” The police officer wrote it down, while he typed it into the computer, Ben asked him to wait a moment and went over to the other phone and grabbed the receiver from Scott’s hands.

“Paul, it’s me, Ben,” he shouted loudly in the phone, “I just had to give the Los Angeles police the number of your car. Can you tell me where you are at the moment? Pull over and wait there until they arrive.”

The Starman didn’t know if this was a joke or not, but Ben sounded as serious as never before. 

“As you can imagine the General was not very pleased when he heard you went for your little trip.”

Paul hadn’t expected that this “trip”, as Ben called it, angered him so much and had caused the General to order such a drastic measure. “I had to get the girl, Ben! It was cold and raining, and she was all alone out there.” 

Wylie remained serious. “Where are you?”

“On the 405. Soon I’ll have to switch to the 101.”

“Okay Paul, do what I have said,” Ben told him, “And pull over, or they will chase you through the whole town.”

Paul’s heart began pounding. Adrenalin rushed through his body. He looked in the rear mirror. Nothing indicated that there was the police on his tail.

“Ben, I’m on my way back. Just wait. I can’t make the car fly. You don’t need to call the army.” With that, he ended the conversation. Somehow Starman knew just letting Ben know that he would be back just wasn’t enough. 

Ben gave the police officer the license plate and the information he received where Paul was at the moment. The first morning light had appeared, and there weren’t a lot of cars on the freeway. It was Saturday and no business traffic. Some minutes later, Paul heard a siren behind him. A police cruiser with flashing lights was on his tail. Some moments later more cruisers followed him and they chased him through the lane. Cars next to him made space and changed lanes. A chopper, probably from the police could be heard from above. 

Stephany turned her head and became frightened. “Paul, the police cars! Look! They are chasing us.” 

He glanced at her, overstrained with the situation. “I know.”

“Why?”

“I told you that they want to control me. I broke the agreement when I took the car and picked you up.”

 

George Fox was informed by Ben about the incident, and he had the TV on when Wylie told him on the phone what happened. He had to sit down. The news overwhelmed him. _No, not again Forrester._

Fox knew Paul in certain ways better then Ben. He knew, when he was being chased, the last idea he had was to pull over and give up. It was wrong to force him in the corner. The man wasn’t used to surrendering while being chased. He never did, and even though it was decades ago since he had to chase him, he knew that Forrester was now frightened, despaired and would not stop the car in his panic. Then the TV program was interrupted, and a TV chopper showed pictures from a car chase on the freeway. The moment Fox saw the car he knew it was Forrester’s.

“Oh no, please don’t!” he softly said, totally shaken and lowered for a moment the cell phone.

“This is KTLA,” the news lady spoke while the pictures were shown from of the helicopter. “There is a car being chased by five police cars in the San Fernando Valley.” The camera in the helicopter zoomed to the car. “On the 405 Freeway, close to the crossing with the 101. We’ll keep you further updated. Stay tuned.” An information line at the lower part of the picture informed the viewers about the incident. Fox was stunned and put the phone back to his ear. 

“Wylie, turn on the TV to KTLA.”

He did and what he saw there worried him. Paul’s little trip to the beach had turned into a nation wide event. Ben only hoped that the extraterrestrial wouldn’t do something stupid. Keeping the chase up or using the sphere. But he also knew that he was obviously overstrained with the situation. Why didn’t he pull over?

Everyone gathered around the TV. Jenny broke out in heavy shocked sobs when she recognized her Starman behind the wheel. Scott took her in her arms. He only hoped his father would be wise enough to give up. On the other hand, he understood why he didn’t. He had broken the agreement, and if they caught him, he would have to face consequences. His father might be forced to move to a more secure place, they might even cage him again where they had him locked up for nearly 20 years. It could also mean that he himself would lose his freedom too. Maybe this is why is father didn’t want to surrender.

“Pull over, please pull over,” he quietly spoke, despaired, but still in hope that everything would be okay. It was the only thing that remained for his father to do. Otherwise the police would probably use their weapons.

“Paul, please pull over! They will shoot us!” Stephany was scared and terrified. The man behind the steering wheel wasn’t the gentle and wise man anymore she knew as Paul Forrester. She only saw a terrified stranger. Meanwhile, Paul had left the freeway and drove on Sepulveda Boulevard. Several police cars were still behind him. All cars in front of him pulled to the side to make space. The helicopter’s circling above him made a lot of noise. The Starman was pure adrenalin and panicked. Old memories came back on the surface. Several times in his life, he was in similar situations - first with Jenny, then with Scott. He thought of everything, but not to give in. He was afraid that they would cage him again, that he’d lose his family, everything that he had gained so far would be lost only because of this. No, pulling over was the last thing on his mind. When he had a chance, he went down from the Boulevard and speeded the car up. 

He was now driving on the street next to the concrete dam which followed the L.A. River. The huge concrete basin was full with water, and the water wild and muddy. The police cars made the same move and came closer and closer. Paul hit the gas, and the car speeded up. He had his sphere in his right hand and took Stephany’s left hand. This way it would protect him and the girl in case anything happened in the next moments. 

When he looked in the rear mirror he saw a police officer leaning out of the car window with a gun in his hands. He aimed for the tires. Paul tried to evade, but there was not enough space for it. A shot could be heard. The officer had hit the right back tire. It blew up and a second later Paul lost control over the car. It broke through the wire fence, and the SUV headed for the water.

###    
**12.**  


Usually it was a small stream, but because of the last couple of rainy days, the basin carried a lot of water. With a loud “whoosh” the car stopped in the river. Half of the car was in the water, especially the front and part of the cabin too. Nevertheless, the water entered the cabin faster then expected. Paul and Stephy held their breaths when the car stopped suddenly in the water. They were lucky that the stream didn’t carry the whole car away. It was also pure luck that only half of the car was in the water. Paul’s heart still pounded. His escape had come to an unexpected halt. What should he do now? 

Stephy was shocked and terrified. She shouted “What are we gonna do now?” 

From above they could hear two helicopters and the police cars, which stopped on the road with warning sirens. More water came in the cabin. The driver’s side door couldn’t be opened. Paul tried, but the force of the stream was too strong. The windows were closed. Stephy tried to open her door, but had no success either. She had it locked, and the water had probably caused a short circuit. The automatic windows wouldn’t go down either. A moment later they saw two officers coming down the concrete hill. Both had guns in their hands. They stepped in the water and threatened the car driver from outside with their guns. They had to go in the water by the passenger seat side, the current was on the other side too strong. 

“Hold your hands up where I can see them!” one of them ordered with determined voice, “and come out of the car!”

“The door won’t open!” Paul shouted with a small hint of panic in his voice. 

One of the officers tried to open Stephany’s door while he kept the gun directed at Forrester, then the back door, but with no luck. Stephany glanced toward Paul with panic in her eyes. Meanwhile the cabin was filled with three feet of water. One of the police officers stepped out of the water and wanted to get something to break the side window. Since the windows wouldn’t open, Paul had a sudden idea. The sphere was still in his hand. A moment of concentration, and the sphere lit up. This confused the man, who still threatened the fugitive with his gun. He thought the man had sort of a gun in his hands. 

“Drop your weapon, sir, or I’ll shoot!” he warned and aimed more accurately.

The officer became frightened. At the same time the light made the window at the passenger side open up. More water entered the cabin in a rush. Paul needed only seconds with the sphere to open the window, but it was a little too much for the nervous police officer. Just when Forrester powered the sphere down, another shot could be heard. The officer aimed for his hand in which he held the sphere. The shot threw the sphere out of Paul’s hand and got lost somewhere in the muddy filled water of the front cabin. At the same time he flinched and found out that the bullet had grazed him at his right wrist. The other officer hurried down again. He had of course heard the gun shot.

“What happened?” 

The young police officer defended his action. “The guy had something in his hand. Probably a gun.” Both looked at the two people in the car and when Stephy looked at Paul she saw that he was hit. 

“Grandfather!” is all is what she could manage to say, shocked about the situation they were in, that Paul was hurt, and afraid and worried if they ever would get out of this car. 

“Climb out of the window!” Paul ordered her and prepared himself to help her. 

The wound hurt, and he clutched the bleeding hand to his body. Blood colored his shirt. Overcoming her fear, Stephy stepped on the car seat and slid her body out of the window. One of the police officers helped her out. The other one still threatened Forrester with his gun. Then, when the girl was out of the car, Paul climbed to the passenger seat, stepped on the seat and the police officer helped him climb through the window in the same manner. When he was out, he stood up to his hips in the water. The police man treated him very roughly, turned him around and threw him towards the car. Paul knew he would not face a nice treatment. Two more police officers came down a moment later and escorted the fugitive and the girl to the police cars. They threw him on the street and while one of the officers bend his arms backwards, the other one searched him for possible other weapons. The girl had to watch everything and was very frightened and worried.

“I don’t have a gun on me!” Paul shouted, while being searched. 

“And what was that blue light in the car, you smart head?” 

“My sphere,” he tried to explain, but this didn’t make sense to the officers. Roughly they put him on his feet again. They had seen that his wrist was bleeding, so one of them brought a bandage and put it over the wound. Only the bleeding wound on his hand spared him handcuffs.

“We caught him, what are we gonna do with him? The guy is hurt.” The officer who had searched Paul, talked in his walky talky and glanced to the girl standing at the end of his car. “What are we gonna do with the girl? The guy had an about 10 year old girl in his car.”

The chief of the police ordered him to wait. He first wanted to inform the General, who had given them the order to track down this particular car.

 

The eyes of the people in Solvang were still fixed on the TV. The helicopter had shown them how the chase ended. Jenny was shocked and fearful when she had seen from the far distance of the helicopter camera that the police officer had shot at her husband. 

“No, please,” she cried.

Scott held his breath. He was aware that his father only wanted to open the window. The officer misjudged the blue light and fired, thinking the fugitive would attack him. Then only moments later they saw Stephy being pushed out of the car window. The helicopter zoomed closer, and one could see that Paul helped her from inside. This could only mean he was unharmed, or not so badly hurt. When the girl was out, they saw Paul emerging out of the window, and the television showed, of course, also the rest.

“It seems the fugitive is caught now. We don’t know yet the circumstances of this car chase, but stay tuned.” 

The program ended, and the channel went back to its normal program. It was however not often that TV channels in the LA area interrupted their program because of car chases on freeways. This one was only one of several in a year.

“This is all your fault, Ben!” Scott was so furious now. He glanced at his father’s best friend. His mother cried in his arms, not knowing how her husband was. “Why couldn’t you wait just a few more hours. He didn’t want to run.”

Wylie knew he didn’t have another choice. It was Forrester’s fault that it had to end this way. 

“Tell me why he didn’t pull over? This is the big question here!” While Scott wanted to argue with him, Ben’s cell phone rang. He listened for a while, then said, “Okay, we will. Yes, sir, of course.” Then, the conversation ended.

Everybody waited for him to say what the call was about. “That was General Ryder,” he informed them, “Paul was hit, and they’ll bring him into the hospital. We can pick him up there. General Ryder will be here as soon as possible.”

“What do you mean “hit”? Jenny wanted to know more about it, like the others. 

“The bullet hit him somewhere at the wrist. It’s not life threatening.” 

Ben looked first at his wife, then at Jenny and at last at Scott. He could see the young man’s accusing eyes. If those could kill, he would drop dead by the second. 

Suddenly Christina spoke up. “Come on guys, we better keep going. The sooner we can bring them back, the better.”

When General Ryder heard that his priceless extraterrestrial was hurt by a gunshot, he ordered the police to bring him right away to a hospital. Besides being completely wet, Paul felt shock kicking in. He was relieved that he could sit in the police car. Because of the shock he also felt a little sick. The police put Stephy with her grandfather, and she looked concerned at him. All color was drained from his face. She remembered how sick Scott was not long ago. Now Paul looked the same.

“Are you okay?” The police officer sitting next to Paul had seen how pale he suddenly became. 

Forrester just nodded, hoping the ride wouldn’t take too long. He began breathing harder, his arms and legs began to prickle. When they finally reached the hospital, he felt a little better, but somehow exhausted too. He was brought to emergency care, and a doctor took over. At the sight of the man, he knew instantly what he needed at the moment. He helped him to lie down. Paul was glad for it, he was almost fainting. Lying down improved his condition, but now he began to shiver. He felt so cold. His eyes searched the room for Stephany. A moment later, she came running to his side. 

“Don’t worry, honey,” Paul said with a low, quiet voice, adding as much reassurance as he could give in his condition, “I’ll be as good as new soon.” 

Meanwhile, the police officer explained to the doctor what had happened. While Stephany held Paul’s good hand, the doctor cut off the bandage and examined the extent of the gun shoot. After cleaning it, he examined it closer. Forrester had to take off his shirt and the jacket.

“You are lucky, sir, just a big grazing shot at the wrist. The bullet didn’t enter. It’s only a flesh wound.” 

This was good news, Paul relaxed and let the doctor finish his work. 

“What will happen now?” Paul asked the police officer who kept him guarded in the emergency room. 

A full hour had passed since he was brought here. The doctor had treated the wound and bandaged his right hand. Paul had taken off his jacket and shirt, but still wore the wet jeans. The girl hadn’t had a chance to change her clothes. Both sat on the emergency bed, wrapped with a rescue blanket around them to add a little warmth to their bodies.

“We are supposed to wait until Mr. and Mrs. Wylie will get here.” 

Still shivering because of the damp clothes, Paul relaxed a little. He knew that they would be mad because of the action he had caused today. He was more afraid, however, what the general would say to all this.

Some minutes later, Paul heard a familiar voice in front of the room. It was George, and he spoke to the second police officer who guarded the room. There was a small discussion whether he was allowed to see the prisoner or not. At the end Fox won the discussion. The door opened, and he entered. George had driven to the hospital after he had been informed by Christina over the phone about what had happened after the program had ended. He, too, had seen the outcome of the car chase. 

“Oh Forrester, why have you done this?” he accused Paul when he stood in front of him. 

“I only wanted to get the girl. She ended up accidentally in Orange County.”

“I wanted to see my other grandparents and overslept.” Stephany wanted to try to protect him and explain that what happened was actually her fault. Fox glanced at her. Like Forrester, she was shivering. Then he looked at Paul again. He too looked tired and totally exhausted. Forrester looked up to his former enemy.

“What will happen now?” He was afraid that they would separate him from his loved ones.

Fox shrugged. “I don’t know, it depends what the General decides.”

Since they hadn’t anything in their systems for more then 12 hours, George brought them a cup of tea to drink. The police officer was still in the room, but the former agent had an important question on his mind. While the two shivering people were glad for the hot tea, Fox bent down and whispered, “The helicopter was from a TV channel. They showed a blue light in the cabin. The window opened. Then there was a gunshot. What happened with the sphere?”

Paul whispered back, “It must be still in the car somewhere.”

Fox grunted and turned to face the officer, “The car he was in. Where did you bring it to?”

“I think they towed it away,” the man replied, “Usually they bring the cars to the holding area of the LA police headquarters.”

 _How in the world can such a sweet looking innocent guy cause so much trouble?_ Fox asked himself when he glanced at Paul after he had gotten the information where the sphere was. _Everything went so well for the last five years, and now this._ He hoped that General Ryder wouldn’t overreact. The extraterrestrial had paid already for his unheralded trip. He sat here pale, shivering and hurt. Hopefully they would get the sphere back too. The sphere was priceless, but so was the alien. He grunted again, felt anger rising because of this mishap with the sphere. 

******

“You wait here, understand?” Ben wanted to speak alone with Forrester. They just had arrived, and Scott and Jenny wanted to see Paul badly, but first he wanted to see him alone. Only Christina he took with him. After showing the guard their credentials, they entered the emergency room and were surprised to see George with Forrester and Stephany. 

“Paul, what have you done?” Christina shouted and rushed to him. Ben addressed the guard and asked him to leave to have more privacy. She was very concerned when she saw how he looked. Both had rescue blankets wrapped around them, but nevertheless they still shivered. Then she examined the bandaged hand. Paul was glad that she was here and explained her how this happened.

The police officer went out of the room, and Ben first welcomed George. Then he came closer. Before he could say anything, Paul tried to explain everything.

“I’m so sorry that this happened. I forgot my cell phone at home to inform you that she called, and that I’m out to get her. I had to pick her up, Ben! It was raining, and it was cold. You would have done the same thing, wouldn’t you?”

“I didn’t know where you were. Besides, I was up all night in case they’d find her. You didn’t call from home, either, before you drove away. I had to inform the authorities. And then you didn’t pull over like I said. You’re in big trouble, pal, in big trouble!”

Ben tried his best to remain calm, but he wanted to give Paul a piece of his mind. All this wasn’t necessary, and it angered him.

“We were so worried, Paul. We could see everything on the screen,” Christina told him, likewise worried, sympathetic but not so angry as her husband, “And they even shot at you. What if they shot you dead?”

“It wasn’t his fault, Mrs. Wylie,” Stephany intervened again, “It was my fault. I wanted to see my other grandparents and didn’t tell him. Then I overslept the bus stop in Santa Barbara and ended up in the wrong place. Please don’t blame him, it’s not his fault!” 

Christina felt pity for the girl. Her eyes were full of unshed tears. Paul took his granddaughter in his arms and pulled her closer. 

“No, it was my fault too, Stephany. I knew I had to inform Ben about where I wanted to go and didn’t. Then they chased me, and I panicked. Does my family know what happened?”

Christina and Ben both nodded. “They are waiting outside. Do you want to see them?” 

Of course Paul wanted to see them. Wylie went outside and ordered Jenny and Scott to come in. 

“Dad!” Scott shouted and rushed to his father, and Jenny was so relieved to see him. “Oh Paul! Stephany! I’m so glad you are alright.”

Both hugged him from two sides and hugged the girl in the same embrace. 

“It’s not bad,” Paul said when he saw Scott’s worried look after seeing his bandaged hand. “Don’t worry!” he assured to the same time his wife. 

“Not so bad?” Scott found that an understatement. “They shot at you!!” 

While Jenny complained how cold Paul and Stephy were, and how tired and pale they looked, Forrester addressed his son, “I assume you have seen that I wrecked your car.” He felt so sorry that he did this. Perhaps he could try to fix it with the sphere in time, but only if the motor wasn’t ruined. He wasn’t a mechanic. 

“I know. I have seen it on TV. Don’t worry, dad, it was just a car. We can replace it, but we can’t replace you or Steph.”

“We can’t replace the sphere either,” George spoke up. “Forrester dropped it when the police shot it out of his hand. We have to get it!”

“If you would get me to the car, I could get it.” Paul volunteered, although he looked rather like a ghost from an ancient castle, with this blanket around him and the paleness in his face.

“No, my dear Paul,” Christina ordered, “We are now going home to bed - no place else.”

“Can you get it?” Ben asked Scott, who was speechless for a few moments by the sudden need in his abilities. 

But then he replied, “Yes, of course I can.” 

Ben and Christina took over the prisoner from the police custody. With Jenny, Paul and Stephany, they drove back to Solvang, while George went with Scott to the holding area the officer had described to them. They got the keys back and ordered a tow truck to bring the wreck home. Soon they stood in front of the wrack, which the tow truck just had placed here. 

When Scott saw his car, he felt grief and sadness. It was expensive, and his insurance wouldn’t replace it, but after all it was just a car. The tow truck company had opened the car to be able to tow it away. When Scott opened it, he saw that the cabin was still filled with water some inches high. Both looked inside. The whole inside was muddy and ruined. The front shield had a hole in it because of the gun shot. The engine hood, front, and the right fender had dents and scratches because of the collision with the wire fence. Scott shivered when he saw the impact of the bullet on the driver’s seat. Meanwhile, George looked around. Nobody was in sight. 

“The coast is clear.”

Scott too looked around. Then he took his sphere out of his pants pocket and climbed with his upper body into the car. He focused only shortly, and soon the blue light was visible. 

“I’m homing in the other one.” 

It was the easiest way to find the other sphere. Of course he could search with his hand in the remaining water, but with this possibility it was much easier. Not even a second later, he knew where the other one was. A blue light could be seen by the pedals. After dimming his sphere, he bent down and took the other sphere out of the water. George was only glad that they had the sphere back. Together they drove home.

###    
**13.**  


They needed over an hour home, and they didn’t speak a lot during the drive. Paul was cold and totally exhausted, and so was the girl. Both fell asleep in the car. Then they came home, showered and ate. It felt great to wear dry clothes again. Nevertheless, Paul didn’t feel too good. Somehow, he felt a cold coming up. He hadn’t slept, and therefore his energy level wasn’t the way it usually was. Then the arm hurt him. The Wylie’s were still in the Forrester’s house, Christina checking on her patient now and then. When she looked in his glassy eyes, she knew he was feverish. He was too long in these wet clothes in the cold. The girl seemed at first fine, but then she began sneezing from time to time, and her nose started running. Paul sat on the kitchen table, while Jenny was busy cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the dishes in the dishwasher. Christina was still next to him.

“The General is expected to come today and now it seems he will find you in bed with the flu. You really messed this up, Paul.”

“I’m okay, Christina. I feel fine,” Forrester answered tired. She knew he wasn’t okay as he said, but there was nothing she could do for him at the moment. 

“Paul, you better go to bed when you are not feeling well,” Jenny proposed, and eyed also Stephany, who hadn’t said a thing since they had taken her home. She watched the grown-ups and especially Paul. Then she stood up and came around between Christina and her grandfather. 

“I messed this up too, Mrs. Wylie. I was so confused when he told me what he is. I read my real grandfather’s book, and I had a sudden desire to see the closest family I have – Joanna and Tom. Do you think the General will send me away now since I caused so much trouble?”

Christina felt such pity for the child. She didn’t know what he’ll decide. Now Jenny came over and hugged the girl. “No, no matter what he says, we are not letting him take you away.” 

Stephany eyed her, not quite understanding. “I’m frightened that he’ll send me away. I don’t have anybody else. Just you and Paul.”

“I told you yesterday,” Jenny repeated, her heart reaching out for this child, “We love you Stephany. It doesn’t matter that Paul is or isn’t your grandfather. Love for another is more then being related, and this is why we won’t give you away no matter what he says.”

“I know,” Stephany said, and hung her head for a second in shame, “I love you too, grandmother.” They hugged again, and then the girl eyed Paul again, who watched this scene with a suddenly big, but tired smile. “Will you forgive me that I was so nasty? I don’t care where you come from or what you are.”

The extraterrestrial had waited for this. It felt good what his girl just had said. It had cost him a lot of trouble, but for him it was worth it. Finally she had accepted what he was, but loved him nevertheless. “Of course I’ll forgive you.” He opened his arms and she fell into his warm embrace. 

Some hours later, Paul was in bed, exhausted and with temperature. Stephany still sneezed, didn’t feel good either, but was still up. Ben was still in the Forrester’s home, and was more or less all the time on the phone. He had to arrange all kinds of things. The police called him several times and asked what and if they were allowed to give information to the inquiring TV channels about the car chase. Wylie told them that the prisoner was classified, and they were not allowed to give any information away. He informed the police that Stephany had been found. Then Scott came home with George. Fox asked about how the alien was doing and was relieved that he was more or less okay. After a couple of minutes giving advises to the Wylie’s about how they should handle the TV channels and police, he drove home.

After Fox was gone, Scott went to check on his father. His mother had told him that he was feverish and didn’t feel too good. When he entered the bedroom, he saw his father asleep. Silently he went over to his bedside and sat down at the edge of the bed. He studied him for a long time and remembered how much he loved him and how close he came today to losing him. Bad memories from the time when he was a teenager, and Paul was with a high fever and very sick in the hospital came to the surface. Hopefully he would soon be okay, and his fever came only from a cold for being too long wet and cold. 

“Dad?” he asked and laid a gentle hand on his father’s shoulder. His father opened his eyes, and when he saw his son whom he was so proud of, he smiled.

“Hi,” he greeted him back. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired and lousy.”

“How’s your hand?” 

Paul sat himself up and flinched when he moved the arm. “It hurts. They said it’s only a scratch, but it is not comfortable.”

“Dad, you don’t know how scared we were when we saw on TV that they had shot at you. For a moment I thought the worst.”

“Guess it must have looked that way.” Paul felt guilty about that. “I was scared too. He probably thought I had a gun. But I had to use the sphere to open the window. We were trapped in there.” After a short pause he added, “I’m sorry it ended that way.”

“By the way,” Scott replied, suddenly remembering the sphere, “I have something for you.” 

He got his father’s sphere out from his pocket and handed it to him. Paul’s face lit up, and he smiled when he had his handy instrument back. “Thank you.”

“Now you can heal your injury.”

“You know,” Paul inquired after a certain while while clutching his sphere, “Why don’t you do it? It’ll make a good practice for you. I’m too tired.” 

Scott had practiced with his sphere, and he had become quite good in using it, but he had never healed those kind of injuries. He was afraid that he might do more harm then good. “I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.”

Paul kept encouraging him. “Come on, Scott! Sure you can do this.” Scott glanced at him with a skeptical look. After some moments he gave in. 

“I’ll try, but first we need to remove the bandage.” 

He tried to open the bandage, but stopped immediately when his father flinched and cried out with pain. “I’m sorry, we better stop,” Scott apologized. 

A moment later Jenny, Christina and Stephany came in the room, alarmed by the outcry.

“What’s going on there?” Christina asked when she saw one of them, or both, had messed around with the bandaged arm. 

“I wanted to heal his injury,” Scott replied, trying to explain what this was all about. “But the bandage won’t come off. It hurt him.” 

Christina was a little annoyed, sat down next to Paul, checked carefully the injured arm to see how much harm the two had made. Stephany climbed in the bed from the other side to see better what was going on. Jenny watched, standing behind her son.

“I’ll give you some advice,” she said, after she was satisfied with the result. It was still tight. After a longer pause she first glanced at the sitting Scott, then to her patient. “If I were you I’d leave it on for the General to see, so it buys his sympathy. When he sees how hurt you are, he might forgive you easier.”

Paul couldn’t believe that Christina, who was always so stern and loyal, gave him such advice. She could be really sneaky if she wanted. 

 

Later that day, Paul tried to take another nap. Stephany was still up, but it became obvious that she too had a cold. Ben stayed in the house, mostly only waiting for the General. Christina went home to check on the kids. The atmosphere had a certain strain in it. Everybody was basically only waiting for the General. What he’d decide would influence all of the involved people in a certain way. Jenny and Scott were in the kitchen and prepared something to eat. 

“I feel terrible when I think about what he’s gonna say,” Jenny moaned, while she was cooking on the stove. 

“Yeah, me too.” 

Her son was worried too, thought if Ryder would understand Paul’s motives and forgive him for his flaws. What ways of punishment could he possibly face? If he ordered him to live in isolation again, he’d face the same problems like before they bought this house for the extraterrestrial. Were there other ways of punishments? Cage him here? His father was already caught in this house 24 hours a day. Take away his computer or any other entertainment equipment? Unlikely, because his parents belonged to a different generation, didn’t even own a modern DVD recorder, and watching TV wasn’t his father favorite entertainment. Separate him from his wife and Stephany for punishment? Yes, possible, in this way he could hurt three people at once. But this would be cruel and was not like he estimated this man. Scott didn’t know, he was tense and worried, all to the same time. He only wished everything would already be over.

 

It was later this evening when they heard the bell, then a stern knock. Stephy was still up, but she was getting sicker. Her nose ran all the time, and she started coughing. Jenny glanced at her. She knew the visitor was now the General, for whom everybody waited. Scott and Ben came in the hallway.

“Wake your father,” Ben ordered, and Scott went to get him. He then opened the door. The girl took Jenny’s hand, obviously afraid and tried to become invisible. The General greeted them and stepped in. Stephany tried to hide behind her grandmother. The man was impressive and tall. He was in his early fifties. He wore a uniform and had a lot of pins on his jacket. The voice was stern.

“Please come in,” Jenny proposed and led him into the living room.

Ryder took a seat in the armchair. Normally he came five or six times a year to see his extraterrestrial, and most of the time he enjoyed his visit, but now his face looked grim. Ben took a seat next to the General and told him all over the details of the last 24 hours, the motives for Paul’s getaway, and the outcome of the car chase. Jenny sat with the child on the love seat. Ben wasn’t yet finished, when first Paul, then Scott entered the room. Forrester was afraid, but tried not to show it.

“Hello General Ryder,” he greeted him and hesitantly took a seat next to Ben. Ethan gave him an angry stare. “Hello, Forrester.” 

Scott came over and offered the grim man his hand. The General took it. Scott hadn’t disappointed him, and he tried to be friendly.

“Nice to see you again. I’ve heard you are living here again. How you’re doing?” 

The General could see that the divorce had taken his toll on Scott. He always was slender like the mother, not a bully type, but now he was very thin since last time he had seen him.

“Okay.” Scott didn’t know what he wanted to hear. 

“I heard you had an accident the other day.”

“Well….” He didn’t know what the man wanted to hear. “Those things happen when you work with horses. Either you clench your teeth, climb up again despite the pain, or you do something else.” 

Ethan couldn’t understand at all, why these animals meant so much for some people that they accepted the danger of getting hurt by them.

“I can’t order you to give up your hobby, but please make sure to wear safety equipment from now on.” 

Scott nodded and took a seat next to his father for mental support. The General glanced at Paul. The incident in the morning had taken its toll on him. The alien was still pale, and his right hand was bandaged. Ben had told him he was fighting a cold, too. 

“I don’t need to say how disappointed I am in you, Forrester,” he said, “What the hell were you thinking when you took off all by yourself?”

“It was an emergency, sir,” Paul defended himself, “My granddaughter wanted to see her other grandparents and accidentally ended up in Huntington Beach. She called me in the middle of the night and asked for help. Wouldn’t you have done the same?”

“Yes, probably, but it’s not about me, it’s about you. You haven’t informed Wylie and didn’t even call.”

“I forgot my cell phone at home.”

“You have excuses for everything, Forrester, and I don’t like that!” Ethan shouted and became more and more furious, “And then when the police traced down the car, you didn’t pull over and started a car chase over the freeway like some movie hero with millions of people watching you on television. That’s not a behavior I had in mind when I allowed you to live with your family in this house. You endangered yourself and even got shot when you used the sphere in front of cameras. You could have ended up dead, Forrester, and what then, huh?” Paul wanted to tell him that the use of the sphere was necessary because they were trapped, but he had the impression the General wouldn’t have listened. He said nothing and waited for the other man’s anger to subside. After some moments the general sighed in frustration.

“What the hell should I do with you now?” He knew all the things that happened couldn’t be changed anymore. 

“I’m sorry,” Paul added after a while, “I’m really sorry to have caused you trouble.” He waited now for the General’s decision about his future because he broke the agreement, but it didn’t come. The general laid his eyes now on the girl. She had said nothing at all, looked terrified, and Jenny had a protective arm around her.

“And you?” Ethan asked Stephy, trying to address her in a friendlier voice. He saw that the child looked frightened, and he was probably the cause for it. “We haven’t yet a chance to become acquainted.” Jenny saw that Ryder wanted to speak to her, so she whispered in her ear to go to him. Very reluctantly, Stephany overcame her fear and went to him and greeted him. 

“Hi, I’m Stephany.” They shook hands. 

“Hello, I’m General Ryder.” Ethan smiled. The girl could steal hearts. 

“I’ve heard you’ve been told the truth about Paul.” She nodded. Ryder wanted to hear more, how she felt about the situation, but she was silent. 

“And? Was this the reason why you caused so much trouble?”

“No, not really,” she answered, “First I was disappointed and, in a way, I guess I’m still confused. When I read my real grandfather’s book “In the Eye of the Storm” I became so confused, that I wanted to see Tom and Joanna.”

Ryder didn’t know who they were, and when Paul saw his look he added, “They are her other grandparents.” 

Stephany glanced shortly at him, then she continued, “It was all my fault, sir. I turned off my phone so nobody could call me. Then I boarded buses, which went in a total different direction. Please don’t punish him, sir. Punish me. He went to get me. I was scared. I didn’t know who else to call.” 

Stephany’s nose was running again, and she sneezed. She blew her nose loudly into a tissue she carried in her pocket. The noise she made wasn’t very elegant.

“It seems you have punished yourself already with getting a terrible cold,” the General spoke in an amused tone. 

However, when she was finished with dealing with her running nose, she addressed the man again, “You won’t send me away, will you?” 

The general eyed the young lady for a long time, eventually he smiled and shook his head no. 

She was so glad for this and asked him bluntly, “Please don’t take Paul away either.”

“Yes, please don’t drag him away,” Scott tried to win him over, “He has made some mistakes, but he has paid for it.” 

There was a long silence, and Ryder knew that for the well-being of his precious alien, it was necessary to let him stay in this house with his family. The extraterrestrial in the body of Paul Forrester was a highly intelligent being, but all he wanted or needed was to be with his family, his wife and his children. He also knew that all other forms of punishment for his misbehavior wouldn’t have the effect he hoped for. Forrester was so modest, he didn’t need wealth to be happy, and when he thought about it, there was nothing he could take away from him for a learning effect. A lot of things went wrong this day. Forrester went in his hurry out all by himself to get the girl. He forgot his cell phone, so he couldn’t call or be contacted. Nobody knew exactly where he was, so Wylie did only his job and informed the authorities. Then Paul didn’t pull over like requested, he panicked and landed, of all things, in the water. Then the officer overreacted because he assumed the blue light Forrester used to open the window was a gun and shot at him. Mistakes were made of both sides he had to admit. 

“I guess he has,” the general said after a while in a stern voice, while thinking everything through, “I don’t want you to repeat what you have done. You’re too vulnerable to lose, and you know it! Maybe next time the police officer hits you in the head and not in your hand.”

“I promise it won’t happen again,” Paul apologized again, “When Ben told me that he had informed the police, I first didn’t believe him. When they were on my tail, I panicked, and we ended up in the water. I had to use the sphere - we were trapped in the car.” 

The General grunted. He wasn’t pleased that Paul had given him so much trouble. “Just don’t do that again, Forrester, okay?” To Scott he said, “Since you are living here again, make sure that he doesn’t get into mischief.

“Yes, I will, sir!” Scott’s mood was delighted, since he understood that the General let his father stay.

After some more talk, Christina came back and informed the General about Paul’s condition, then the General had to leave again. There was work waiting for him. 

“Next time I come for a visit, I don’t want to have three tons of paperwork on my desk because of you.” 

Somehow he was still angry, but felt better after having talked to the involved people. He was about to climb into his car, when the tow company brought the car. Everybody went outside to have a look. Ethan went around the vehicle, and when he saw the hole in the windshield, a cold shiver ran over his back. What if the police officer hadn’t had such a good aim? They would have possibly lost Forrester. He didn’t want to think what he would have done then.

When the General was gone, Paul collapsed on the couch. He was so relieved. Jenny came and hugged him with all her love, and that was what he needed at the moment.

“I’m so glad he let you stay!”

”Me, too!” He kissed her, joy in his eyes.

Stephany was right behind Jenny and wanted a hug too. When she threw her arms around his neck, he squeezed her as tight as possible. Now he was surrounded by his favorite girls. 

“Have I told you, today, how much I love you two?”, he asked and glanced from one to the other. 

“No, but I’d like to hear it!” 

Although Paul was still feverish, he had enough energy to give his wife a tender kiss. 

“You know what I want to do now?”

Jenny giggled. “I guess nothing remains for you except going back to bed.”

Bed sounded good, but his stomach was empty. “First let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

###    
**14.**  


Ben and Christina left, and then they ate dinner. Paul was handicapped with his injured hand. He had problems using his left hand instead of the right. When they had eaten, he wanted the injury to be fixed. Christina wasn’t there anymore to help, but this was something he could do alone as well. Jenny helped him to remove the bandage. Scott was outside to clear out the damaged car and came inside with a box full of things from the car and Stephany’s backpack. Since her knapsack was on the backseat, it wasn’t wet. He set everything down in the hallway and came in the living room. Curious, he came closer and wanted to know what his parents were doing. The wound didn’t look good. In his eyes, it was more than just a scratch. It rather looked like a big fresh flesh wound. Paul looked interested at his hand.

“Do you want me to take care of that now?” Scott asked him and sat down opposite him on the coffee table. Paul still examined the wound, flinched when he touched it. 

“Yes, go ahead.”

Scott eyed Stephany. She just came in the room and was blowing her nose again. 

“Do you want to see what they are doing?” Jenny asked her, and she took a seat next to her grandfather and watched with interest. Meanwhile Scott had gotten out his sphere and lit it up.

Healing those kind of wounds was basically only energy concentration like anything else they could do with the silver ball. Paul sensed how excited his son was. Scott didn’t want to spoil it and was nervous. 

“Picture what you want and let the energy flow,” he suggested, and Scott nodded. 

The light covered the hand. Stephy was awed. This time the lit up sphere didn’t scare her anymore. She was curious what would happen next. Moments later, they could see that the wound closed itself. Again, a little later, not even a scar was visible. Scott was only glad that he didn’t mess it up. Using the sphere, especially for healing wounds, drained energy from him, but right now he was too excited to feel it. Happy that everything went fine, he powered down the sphere. Meanwhile, Paul examined his hand, which was as good as new. 

“Perfect work, son. Thank you, I’m very proud of you.”

“Glad it worked,” Scott chuckled relieved. 

Jenny and the girl took a look at Scott’s perfect work. His mother bent down to him and kissed him joyfully on his cheeks. “You managed this perfectly,” she praised him.

The next day was Sunday, and they met again on the breakfast table. Paul felt much better then yesterday. The temperature was down, although the common cold remained. The weather was better too. California’s sunshine was back. Stephy was still in bed, and everybody thought it would be better that she stayed there the whole day. Her coughing had become worse. 

Jenny yelled through the house. “Scott, Stephy, breakfast’s ready!” It didn’t take long until both people appeared in the kitchen. 

“Good morning,” the young man greeted in a friendly tone. Stephy’s good morning greeting was completely different. She was sick, and she felt terrible. Her throat hurt, the nose was running all the time, and fits of coughing had always interrupted her sleep. Jenny came to her and laid a hand on her forehead.

“I think you still have a temperature.” Stephy sat down on the table and hadn’t much of an appetite. 

“What are your plans for today?” Paul wanted to know and addressed his son, while Scott poured himself a cup of coffee. 

Scott shrugged. The car was on his mind. He must find out if it was worth it to repair it. “I haven’t had a chance yesterday in all this excitement to tell you what happened.”

Jenny was immediately alarmed. “What? Did you fell off again?”

Scott calmed her down, “No, mom, completely different. The ride with Farah was fine. When Richard came back from his business trip, he brought home two wild mustangs. He said, if I helped him train them for trail riding, I could keep the one with the red coat.”

“He did?” She almost couldn’t believe it. Richard was really generous. Or did he have something in mind?

“Wow, that’s good news.” Paul was stunned. His son had suddenly his own horse too. “Will it be difficult to train it?”

“No, I don’t think so. They are green, but it won’t take longer as usual.”

“I thought this horse has a red coat.” Now the extraterrestrial was confused, or at least he appeared to be, and he raised an eyebrow, which was so typical for him. 

“They are not green, honey,” Jenny explained to him, “We say green when they aren’t trained to accept bridle and saddle.”

“I knew that!” Paul teased them like he always had been an expert in the English language. 

Mother and son chuckled over this little joke, while Paul glanced at Stephy, who hadn’t said anything to this surprising news. She tried to eat, but her nose was blocked, and therefore eating was difficult. 

“My poor little thing,” he said to her and touched her cheek to check on her temperature. “You don’t look good. You better go back to bed after you have finished eating. Let’s see if we have some medicine for you.”

Later on the girl went to bed. Christina came over and brought some cold medicine and examined Stephany. She gave Jenny the advice to let her stay home for a week. When she was checking how Paul was doing, she was surprised that he was almost his self again, apart from the common cold. 

“I see you took care of your hand,” she said when she saw the hand was unbandaged and unharmed. 

“Scott did.” 

She was impressed and showed it. “Your son is a good catch. With someone like him around, you won’t need me any longer on long term.” 

They chuckled, and after a moment Paul asked, “You know Christina, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I know Ben will probably not approve it because of all the things that happened yesterday, but sometime soon I wanted to ask him if Scott and I could camp out.”

“Camping? You two alone?” She was a little surprised over the question. “Where?”

“Lake Chacuma.”

It was just around the corner, but anyway, perhaps he should postpone his planned time with his son, until Ryder’s anger had fully subsided.

“Uhm, Paul, I don’t know if it is a good idea to ask Ben a day after you messed up. He and Ryder are still…….well………pretty upset.”

Forrester had assumed that she would say something like that. He put the idea to the side, but wanted to bring it up in the next week or two when things have settled down.

When Christina went home again, Paul checked on his grandchild. She was lying in bed, supporting her head with an arm and read the book that she borrowed from the library. It seemed the different personalities of the men who both were Paul Forrester still confused her somehow. Paul sat down next to her and waited to see if she wanted to talk about it. 

“I wish I had a chance to have met him,” Stephany said, and turned the pages until she had reached the jacket cover to show him the author’s photo. Paul knew the photo well. Then she pointed to it. “He looks somehow different.”

“He’s younger in that picture than I am.” 

The young girl found the remark funny and laughed. “No, aside from that. Your eyes are different.”

“Eyes are the window to our soul,” Paul explained to her, “Maybe this is what people see when they compare us with each other.”

“Yes, probably.”

“This Paul was however very different to myself. I may have his genes, but not his character. This brought me always in a lot of trouble.” 

He remembered the times he stumbled into troubles when he had to deal with unsolved relationships of the deceased photographer. “If you want, we could watch the DVD I own, where you can see him alive.”

“Yes, I would like that….Grandfather?” 

Forrester was surprised that she called him again “grandfather”. She saw his surprise and replied, “How do rather want to be called by me? Paul or grandfather?”

“You can call me whatever you wish, honey - either by my name or how we are related.”

“Okay, then I have a question.”

“Go ahead.” Paul was curious what she wanted to know. Stephany closed the book and sat up next to him. 

“Can we go and see Tom and Joanna?”

“Sure we can. Jenny or Scott will have to drive you though. At the moment I think they won’t let me come with you.” He didn’t want to push his luck, thinking of the talk he just had with Christina.

“Can you show me the light again?”

“The sphere and the blue light? Of course.”

For a child the instrument was very interesting. Forrester teased her a little and pretended he hadn’t it on him. Only after some moments and after seeing her disappointed face, he got out his sphere from his pocket and handed it to the girl. Like she had seen Paul and Scott using it, she held it in her cupped hand.

“Can I make the light too?”

“Concentrate and picture what you want to happen.” 

The extraterrestrial knew that it wouldn’t work with humans, but he didn’t want to disappoint her. After some seconds and a fit of coughing, the girl gave up. 

“It doesn’t work.”

“I know. Only I and Scott can.” A little disappointed, Stephany handed the sphere back. Then she nestled against his shoulder. “Do you want me to make some blue lights for you?” 

Suddenly there was movement in her, and she looked at him enthusiastically.

“Oh yes!” Stephany forgot her cold and the symptoms which bothered her so much and climbed up to sit on his lap. Before he started, he wanted her to remember that those things had to remain secret.

“Stephany, before I start – you do know that you may not talk about who I really am with your friends at school, with John or Samantha, or somebody else who doesn’t know who I am?”

“Yes, I know and I promise!” 

When Paul looked in her eyes, it seemed she meant it honestly, but when he thought how easy she got carried away when she compared him with the picture in the book that day in the library, he wasn’t so sure. However, at the moment he trusted her. 

“Focus and picture what you want to do,” he explained, when he looked at the sphere in his hand. Stephy followed his advice. She wasn’t sure if her influence lit up the sphere and made this typical humming sound and produced a blue light, or if it was his job alone.

“This is so cool.” 

“Watch this!” Paul directed the lights in a circle. The light parted, and a three foot tall ring of blue lights circled the room. The girl, awed, was speechless for a moment, then was attracted by the lights. Slowly she stood up and wanted to catch one of the lights. 

“This is awesome!” 

Forrester had a lot of fun playing with her and let the ring circle around the girl up and down like a hula hoop ring. Stephany had a lot of fun with the lights too. Going to Disney World was always her dream, but this light show in her bedroom was even better. After a little while, Paul powered the sphere down and the blue lights disappeared.

“Ohhhw,” A lot of disappointment was in Stephy’s voice. She came back to him and sat again on his lap with an arm around his neck. 

“This was cool. Can we repeat this sometimes?”

Paul chuckled. “If you want, why not? They are only lights.”

This night the extraterrestrial went to bed relieved and happy. Happy that they allowed him to stay here with his family, and relieved that his loved ones were here, and he hadn’t to go out to look for them. In the last week so many things happened, and it all had started with Scott’s return. Stephany had caused him a lot of trouble, but now she knew what he was, and it seemed it didn’t bother her anymore. The feeling Paul had now was a good one. He knew everything was going to be alright.

###    
**EPILOG**

After hearing that Mr. Pines had chosen another applicant, Richard got his wish and Scott came back working for him. He wasn’t yet sure for how long, but at the moment he didn’t have other ideas.

Teaching the horses went fine and the mustangs had learned a lot after a couple of weeks. It would take however months until they were ready for trail riding.

There was no news from Eric yet. The circumstances in Syria became worse, and there was no hope anymore to get help from the embassy.

Paul and Scott tried their best to fix the car. They had everything fixed, cleaned and dried, but the engine had a fatal damage. Since none of them knew anything of engines, they had to search for somebody who could repair it. At the end they found a shop, who made a good offer. They had to replace the motor and the repair cost several thousand dollars.

**June 2011……**

After everything has settled down and some time has passed after his “getaway”, they allowed him to camp out with Scott at the lake. Ben had lent them a tent, and they had erected it. This took longer then expected. The tent was difficult to assemble. Before it became dark, Paul and Scott collected some dry wood and prepared a fireplace.

“Just like back then, don’t you think? Paul asked his son. Only then, we didn’t have a tent,” 

He felt suddenly melancholy washing over him. All afternoon they had been at the huge lake and strolled over its beach. They had met some people fishing and other campers. Their tent stood a little offsite, exactly on the same spot like 25 years ago. 

“Yes, amazing, you and me here together after so many years. I feel I just made a time leap. It feels weird.”

It was indeed an odd feeling Forrester had at the moment. He chuckled shortly. “Just don’t play with the sphere again and arrange a ring of huge blue lights in the sky. One time was enough.”

“Come on, dad, just little rings?” Scott teased him and got out his sphere to demonstrate his intention. 

“Don’t you dare!” Paul threatened him in fun, “Do you want to end up in prison again?” 

His son was in his best mood. He had waited long for the allowance to take his father on this short vacation. While he stilled played with the sphere in his hand, he thought of the episode back then. “I wonder if that guy, Charles Ewing, still works as sheriff for this town?” 

“Who knows?” Paul also thought for a moment of him.

“Do you remember the restaurant we ate in back then?” Scott asked then, knowing his father remembered for sure.

“The Red Barn?”

“Yes, right, The Red Barn. That was the name.”

“We’ll find out tomorrow if they still run it after so many years.”

Night came and they had to start the fire to keep warm. This time they used a common lighter to avoid for any price drawing attention. Both looked in the night sky with millions of stars above them. Not a cloud could be seen. 

“You know, dad, when I look up in the sky to your home world, I wonder if you ever get homesick.” 

The extraterrestrial gazed at the distant Algieba. It was so far away. Algieba and the stars meant total freedom. Before he came to earth, he was an interstellar explorer, a mapmaker of the universe. He remembered his former life well. Everything had changed when his race found the Voyager probe and sent him to follow the invitation. For the extraterrestrial this time before he came to earth was now light-years away, actually and literally spoken. 

“Sometimes I am, but most of the time I enjoy living here in this body. You are now my family.”

“But they are controlling you with so strict rules, they locked you up for so long and kept you apart from me and mom for so many, many years. I will never understand how you can stand this surveillance. If I only remember what troubles you had some weeks ago, because you went out to get Steph.”

Paul knew his son would never fully understand the situation he was in, and he didn’t want to discuss it with him now. “Scott, please don’t start again. It is how it is. I can’t change it, and you can’t either. I have reached a lot since we’ve met again, haven’t I? We have a beautiful house, I’m married happily to your mother. Since this year I even have a grandkid, and we two can camp out now.”

Scott grunted, sighed heavily and gave up. Those discussions with his father never lead to anything. Changing the subject he said in an amused voice, “Yes, yes, in that point you are right. That girl twisted you around her little finger.” 

Paul raised an eyebrow and thought about what his son just had said. He knew the expression, but it was new that he said something like that. It was almost like he felt sorry that he wasn’t anymore the only prince in the house. 

“I hope you don’t mind when I say it. She did that with you too!”

Scott chuckled. “What makes you think this way?”

“Driving her to Santa Barbara to see Tom and Joanna, taking her last Sunday to Disney world?” 

“Come on, dad! I had time, and she wanted it so badly. You keep her occupied a lot, but you can’t take her to places. Besides she needs distraction. After all, Eric is still not found. Maybe he never will be.”

“Yes, maybe.” 

The little teasing first had turned into an uncertain sensation when mentioning Eric. Stephany’s father was still not found. The girl probably had to stay in Paul Forrester’s custody. 

After seeing his dad so sad, Scott wanted to cheer him up. “Don’t worry, dad, I know she loves you and mom. And now I’m here too. I can help when she overburdens you two.”

“Scott, I may be a grandfather, but I’m not that old, that I can’t handle an eleven year old.” Paul looked at him a little hurt. 

Scott thought only a few weeks back, what had happened then, but he remained silent after the comment. Maybe his father should find out himself if he could or couldn’t. 

That night they spend in the tent and slept relatively well. In the morning, after using the camping wash place and giving Ben and Jenny a call that everything was okay, they ate their packed food for breakfast. Later they went into town and found out the Red Barn was still there. It opened every day at 10:30 AM.

Paul and Scott just looked at the house in disbelief and then entered the restaurant. It seemed nothing had changed there. The chairs and tables looked the same, even the table-clothes. Now they were really caught in a time leap. They sat down, of course, at the table they used back then, 1986. A waitress brought them the menu. She didn’t look familiar. They opened the menu, and Scott was amused how everything was unchanged. He chuckled quietly, not getting over the sensation he felt. 

“I can’t believe it, the same tables, the same table-clothes. When somebody walks in that I remember I’m going to flip.”

Yes, indeed, this was truly a time leap. 

Forrester chuckled quietly in the same manner, he didn’t want to draw attention, but he found it funny too. He forced himself to calm down and read the menu.

“Have you checked out the deserts yet?”

“No, why?”

“They serve a dish called “the blue lights”.

Scott couldn’t believe what he just heard. Frantically he searched for the desert section and was stunned. There was really a dish with this name. It was a sweet dish and the blueberry topping was probably why they called it this way. 

“This is weird!”

The waitress came back to their table and asked what they had decided. They ordered a sandwich and beverages. Paul couldn’t help asking why they had a dish named blue lights.

“Oh, the prior owner of this place created this name, and we took it over,” the waitress explained, “Sometime in the middle of the 80ies, the town was visited by aliens, you know. I don’t believe it, but some people still talk about it, especially our sheriff. They told me that a huge ring of blue lights circled above the town.”

She didn’t see that Paul had to swallow a lump in his throat. “Oh really?” he asked, his voice almost failing him.

Scott looked at him and back to the waitress, and his mouth stood open. 

“Two human looking aliens visited the town, so they told me. A stunning good looking guy and his kid. I don’t know anymore if they said if the kid was a girl or a boy. But you know,” she chatted on, “This town is so small and boring that they probably need those stories to have something to talk about.”

If she only knew how true the story was. Paul gulped when she kept looking at him. 

“Do you want me to bring it?” The waitress only wanted to know if he wanted to order the dish or not, and wasn’t aware what was going on between father and son.

“Yes, please bring the blue lights for me and my son.”

“Alright, gladly.”

The waitress went and Paul and Scott were again alone. 

“Dad, you are famous here! I can’t believe it. If they only knew that you live in the next town!”

Some minutes later the waitress brought everything they ordered. Before they began to eat, Paul wanted to say a toast. “May the blue lights never leave this town.”

“Either in rings in the sky or in cakes,” his son completed happily.

To be continued …


End file.
